Yearning for Rainbows
by Rae1
Summary: Complete. Jyoushiro. Sequel to 'Weekend Rain' and 'Rain on Saturday'. More action with the previous couples as they try to make sure that Jyou and Izzy find someoe to be as happy with as the others are with their boyfriends/girlfriends. Teaser included.
1. A Cloud in the Sky

Fingers flew over the keyboard, barely pausing in their rhythm as the typist concentrated on both his typing and the background conversation of the television. When the volume of the television was turned low, his fingers slowed, and then stopped.  
  
Koushiro turned around, dark eyes concerned as he looked at the person who had become his friend. Ken smiled at him self-consciously, brushing hair back from his face with slender fingers. "Hello, Ken."  
  
"Hello, Izzy." The genius' greeted each other quietly. Without looking in the direction of the computer, Koushiro shut down the program he had been using and shut the computer off. His fingers found the keys quickly, without hesitaition, doing what they had done a thousand times before without conscious thought of their owner.  
  
The redhead turned his chair to the side and stood up. "I apologize, Ken, I did not realize that you were coming over today, or I would have prepared for your arrival. Would you be more comfortable if we moved to the kitchen, or would your preference be to remain here?"  
  
"Here is fine." The younger one bit his lip, obviously uncertain. "I came on a personal matter."  
  
"Please, be seated. Make yourself comfortable. Would you care for refreshment?"  
  
Ken shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you." He took a seat on the bed, and waited silently until Koushiro sat back down in the computer chair, this time facing it toward the room's other occupant so that they were face to face, and on eye-level.  
  
"Feel free to begin when you're comfortable, Ken. There is no rush on my behalf." He settled himself into the chair, and crossed his right leg over the left. "What brings you to me?"  
  
The blue-haired genius blushed, looking down as his hands gripped each other in his lap. "It's Miyako." Koushiro waited, then nodded to show that he was listening and that Ken could go on. "She's gotten it into her head that..."  
  
He trailed off, looking away again. Koushiro felt his interest piqued. Whatever it was that Miyako wanted, it flusterd Ken, something that Koushiro hadn't really seen before. In times past, Ken had been his equal, a quietly reserved young man, but one who was not afraid of stating how he felt or inserting his opinion. For him to hesitate now could only mean that it was something of a very private nature to Ken, himself, or to Koushiro.  
  
"And what has she decided? I understand that she is a rather headstrong and willful young lady, but surely nothing that she could coordinate could be that horrendous?"  
  
Amethyst eyes met black, and Koushiro felt his heart thud heavily in his chest. He had the sudden sinking feeling that he was not going to enjoy Miyako's planning.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Yamato looked at Jyou with a smile, blue eyes twinkling brigthly. The young man narrowed his eyes at his blonde friend, trying to discern the reason behind such obvious happiness. It could have been, he deduced, the fact that Matt was sitting in Tai's lap, or the fact that they were happily wrapped in each other's arms.  
  
"I don't get it, guys. What does the fact that you're dating have to do with me? I'm not really surprised, to tell you the truth. Sora was telling me shortly before she went out with Mimi that things weren't as they seemed between her and you." He pointed to Matt.  
  
Takeru peeked out of the kitchen, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes also sparkling. "That's just it, Jyou!" He stepped into the living room of the Ishida apartment, looking at Jyou as if the older teen had forgotten something that had been already explained to him.  
  
Behind him followed a cheeky redhead with an expression identical to everyone else's. He looked stone-drunk happy as he sat himself on the arm of Jyou's chair and looked at him. In that arrangement, they were almost eye-level, Daisuke not having hit his growth spurt yet.  
  
"See, the thing is that out of all the destined, you and Koushiro are the only two that are single. And since we're all happy, we want you to be happy, too."  
  
"Right." Chimed in Tai. He shifted his legs, making Matt move to the other side of his lap so that his view of Jyou was unobstructed. "That means that we have to set the two of you up!"  
  
"Set us up?" Jyou swallowed hard, suddenly finding the room around him tilting at a neauseating angle. He must have paled, or made some noise, because Takeru instantly ran into the kitchen, and returned with a glass of water.   
  
Matt was frowning at him in concern. "Not the two of you together, necessarily."  
  
"Though it'd be romantic if we all found someone in the group." Takeru reached down and took Daisuke's hand. The redhead winked at him, bringing the blonde's hand to his lip and kissing the back without ever breaking eye contact. Jyou watched this with dark eyes, his envy hidden behind years of hiding his true emotions.  
  
"As romantic as that would be, that would be making two large assumptions." Matt pointed out, right hand entangled in Tai's hair, the left holding Tai's right hand. Jyou didn't want to know where the brunette's left hand was. He could feel his face grow hot, and he took deep, even breaths to stave off the panic attack he could feel coming.  
  
Tai sighed, resting his head against Matt's arm, since he couldn't reach the blonde's shoulder as long as Matt was sitting in his lap. "And while it would be easier for us to find you someone to go out with if we knew what your preferences are, we didn't just want to come out and ask."  
  
"So we thought that we'd be honest up front, and then see if you'd go along." Takeru added.  
  
"In the end, we'll get what we want, but we thought we'd give you a chance to go along with us, so you don't say later that you were forced into it." Clarified Daisuke. Jyou nodded, looking at the four of them before nodding.  
  
"I'll go along with it. On one condition." He waited for the four two agree.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Author: Rae  
Title: Yearning for Rainbows  
Content: Yaoi/Yuri/Het  
  
Author's note: This is the teaser for the sequel to 'Weekend Rain' and 'Rain on Saturday'. This will have all the couples of the previous two, as well as the addition of another, eventually. The point behind this fic is to get Jyou and Koushiro together, while showing that the other five couples in action.  
  
Or something like that.  
  
Note the second: Along with everything else, this may take a while to be updated, but it should be quicker, because I don't have to wait on a computer with .html as I do with most of the others. 


	2. Leads to a Burst of Rain

Author's note: This is, quite obviously, Chapter 2, and you have, quite obviously, decided to be tortured some more. So, here it is in all it's...glory (if you can call it that). This will not be the end.   
  
  
  
  
Koushiro sighed, looking at his reflection in the mirror with something less than enthusiasm. Around him, Miyako and Hikari were chattering as they held assorted shirts and pants up to his body, trying to find the perfect outfit. They were gushing and giggling, completely ignoring his less than happy mood.  
  
"What do you think, Kari? Blue, or green?" Miyako held up two button-up dresshirts, looping her arms around the redhead from behind so that they could see the effects in the mirror. Kari nodded thoughtfully, but Koushiro grimaced. They were shirts that he had hidden in the back of the closet so that his mother wouldn't drag them out to make him wear in public.  
  
"I definitely like the green. The blue clashes with his hair."  
  
He sighed, pointing out that, "So does the green." Miyako raised an eyebrow at his comment, and he sighed, drooping lower as his gaze trailed away. He really wasn't enjoying the process of becoming a live dress-up doll, and he wished that he had refused Ken when the genius had first proposed this situation to him. "Can I go to the bathroom?"  
  
"Do you have to go at this exact moment?" The violet-haired girl asked impatiently. He looked up at her with a look of tried patience.  
  
"I would not have asked if the need did not currently apply." She sighed, but moved away so that he could leave the mess of clothes behind.  
  
He made his way to the bathroom, and shut the door, locking it quietly behind him. He eyed the window for a moment, seriously considering it as an escape route. However, it lacked a balcony, and was ten stories up, so that way of retreat was out. He sat down on the toilet seat, leaning back slightly. He didn't want to go back into the other room, to be dressed and cooed over by his 'fashion team'. He didn't want to know how he had let Ken talk him into this.  
  
Then again, the answer to that was no farther away that looking at the younger genius. To be more precise, the blue hair and pale skin. Koushiro sighed, sitting forward so that his elbows were on his knees. His mother had told him once long ago that love was not a choice, and he had accepted her advice at that time. Somewhere along the way, that same fact had reared its head, and in a most...unusual and discomforting way.  
  
Falling in love wasn't something that the redhead knew much about, and he knew it was something that he hadn't 'appeared' interested in, so why his friends were suddenly so determined to see him paired up, he hadn't a clue. Not that he had complained too loudly or insistently, but it was almost guaranteed that they would fail in their attempt to find him the perfect...companion.  
  
While Tai and Matt, and quite a few of the others were obviously 'out', it wasn't common knoweledge that Koushiro had leanings that way. Or, at least towards one certain, blue-haired male. Who, unfortunately for Koushiro, was as oblivious to the genius' affection as everyone else.   
  
"Kou! Are you done in there, yet?" Miyako yelled through the door. He eyed the wood standing between them, and smiled slightly.  
  
"No." He spoke loud enough that she would be able to hear him, resettling his form in a semi-reclining position to avoid cramping the muscles of his back.  
  
"What's taking you so long?"  
  
"I've decided to rescind my permission to use me as a guinea pig. I'd rather take my chances in finding a date on my own."  
  
"You can't!" He heard Hikari holler. His smile widened slightly as they tried to turn the knob.  
  
"Izumi Koushiro, come out of that bathroom at once!" Miyako yelled, obviously not too worried about attracting the attention of his mother. He sighed, closing his eyes as they tried to coax him out of the sanctity of the room. He could picture a thousand other places to be than stuck in a bathroom with two rabid fangirlish females outside his door.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Across town, or at least a couple of blocks away, Jyou was bearing his own fashion show with more...diplomacy.  
  
"I'm not wearing that. One more red or orange shirt, Daisuke, and I will have your head." He threatened, although the redhead didn't seem to mind. Jyou rubbed his temple, squinting as yet another shirt was thrown across his shoulder. "And that inclueds yellow."  
  
"You know what, Dai? I think Jyou has a point. We should go with lighter colors." Takeru said, pulling the rainbow assortment of shirts from Jyou and replacing them with a single white, button-down dresshirt. "No offense, lover, but not everyone can get away with wearing flames."  
  
"I know." Daisuke nodded, a grin plastered on his face. "If it wasn't for my singular taste in fashion, I would have no..." He trailed off.  
  
"Individuality?" Suggest Jyou, taking off the dark blue T-shirt he was wearing and replacing it with the white one, oblivious to his rather...happy audience. When he had done up the last button, Takeru and Daisuke looked at each other, twin gleams of mischief in their eyes. "I do have to admit, you -are- unique, Davis."  
  
"Yeah, well, yeah." He shrugged almost self-consciously, his eyes never leaving Takeru's. "Of course, not everyone appreciates me."  
  
"I do." Takeru moved around Jyou to wrap his boyfriend in a hug, pecking his lips in a chaste kiss.   
  
Daisuke sighed, melting into his arms and pressing their foreheads together. "Hmm. I'd rather have you than have the world at my feet. Of course, you are my world, so..." He leaned in and kissed the blonde again, tightening his hold.  
  
Jyou, feeling like out of place and rather voyeuristic, left the room, now mostly dressed for his impending date. He found Matt and Tai in his living room, the blonde sitting in a chair as Tai sprawled across the sofa, arm behind his head and propping it up as they watched television. Jyou blinked at them.  
  
"Your brother and Davis are getting it on in the next room, and you two aren't even sitting together?" They both looked up at him for a moment. Tai shrugged and went back to his program, but Matt stood up, stretching.  
  
He looked over the man before him, eyes narrowed speculatively. He made a complete circuit around him, and then stopped in front of him. "Tai?"  
  
"Yeah, babe?"  
  
"He needs something." Tai grunted, but didn't move from the couch.   
  
"Try a blazer. Something blue or gray. Don't let Daisuke pick it out, either, or he'll be wearing some awful orange color."  
  
The redhead in question chose that moment to enter the room. "Orange is a cool color!" Takeru placed a hand on his arm, smiling gently. Daisuke sighed, wilting. Takeru leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and he was smiling again in an instant.  
  
Jyou sighed, walking back towards his room in hope of a little peace. If the other four were distracted in the living room with each other, then he could get dressed without being watched.  
  
He searched his closet and found a plain, but wearable, blue blazer, and put it on, leaving it unbuttoned as he eyed himself in the mirror. He could hear his friends talking in the other room, but their voices were indistinct. He reached a pale hand out to the glass, touching a fingertip to his reflection.  
  
On the outside, he was bearing their matchmaking very well. Inside, however, the cost was high. Sad eyes peered at him from the mirror, matching the heartache that he felt. In allowing them their fun and enjoyment at his expense, he was quite possibly missing out on the only chance in the world he had of being with who he truly wanted.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Koushiro stood as proudly as he could with five females giggling and cooing at his expense. His mother was enjoying herself very much, giggling with Mimi and Sora while Miyako and Kari made him model his attire. Why he had gotten stuck with all the females was beyond him.  
  
Someone chose that moment to knock on the door, and Miyako and Kari disappeared before he could blink a second time. They were back seconds later, leading Ken and Iori into the room. He sighed, looking away as his audience grew.   
  
"I thought you said that he was stuck in the bathroom." Ken said by way of greeting. Miyako wrapped an arm around him, and he smiled, tucking her close as he put an arm around her shoulders. "What did you do to get him out?"  
  
Mimi giggled. "He owed me a favor. Sora and I were closer than either of you, so we hopped on over." She smiled at her girlfriend, and was rewarded with a kiss. Kari and Iori were holding hands, studying Koushiro.  
  
"I like the outfit, Izzy." Iori said, his lips barely turned up in a smile. The redhead tried to smile back at him, but was distracted by a hand tugging at his collar.  
  
"It's almost time to go. I can't believe that this is your first date!" He winced as his mother gushed over him, causing his friends to giggle. "I want you to have such a good time. Make sure that you walk her home, and don't forget your manners when you meet her parents."  
  
"I won't, Mom." He smiled at her, then reached out spontanteously to hug her. "I promise to have fun and be on my best behavior." They embraced for a moment, and then Koushiro was being pulled from his apartment by the well meaning throng.  
  
They walked him part of the way there, and then left him with an address and a name of a girl he didn't know. He walked slowly, his foot steps a quiet cadence matching that of a prisoner on death row being escorted to his death.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
A couple of blocks across town, four young men were ushering their friend out of his own apartment, much to his dismay and stress level. He tried to stop them from shutting the door in his face, but they pushed together and had him in the hall with the door shut before he could yell 'stop'.   
  
He tried to unlock the door with his key, but they had put the bolt up. Through the wood, he could hear them laughing and encouraging him to go on, but the only thing he could think about was the mess that his father was going to come home to if they stayed unsupervised.  
  
"Guys, please don't trash my apartment! Please! I promise to try to have as much fun as possible, just please don't give my father a reason to kill me when he comes home." They laughed at him, and he pushed away from the door, starting his down-trodden way downstairs and out into the early evening. Upstairs in the apartment, the four people responsible for his being out and around sat around the kitchen table, discussing their plan thus far.  
  
Daisuke grinned at his boyfriend, playfully running his hands through the blonde's hair as he spoke dreamily. "I'd go for him."  
  
"Mmmhmm." Tai agreed, earning himself a slap from Matt. The blonde's looked at each other and sighed at their respective boyfriends.  
  
When Tai leaned back in his chair, Matt moved quickly to sit in his lap, running his hands into Tai's hair, and putting their faces closer together. "Honestly, if I didn't have you, I'd jump him." 


	3. Followed by a Touch of Sun

Koushiro felt like a stuck pig on display at a meat market. The girl they had set him up with, Keito, was not really wat he was expecting. Which isn't to say much, because the redhead had tried to prepare himself for everything. At least her parents had been almost normal.  
  
However, an hour and a half after he had met her, he didn't care if her parents were rich, or wonderful, or anything else. He wanted away from the girl as fast as possible. He had known from the beginning that things wouldn't be good. What he hadn't realized was that they could be that bad.  
  
"And then I had to rewrite my paper all over again. As if all the time I spent on the first copy wasn't enough, he expected me to go back, like I had saved it or something, and redo parts of it. It was, like, horrible!"  
  
"Uh-huh." He said the same thing he'd been saying for the last thirty minutes, not that she would notice. She was already off on another tangent, her high, squeaky voice grating on his nerves with every word. His hand, wrapped around a glass, was white-knuckled. He had taken her to the restaurant that Miyako had chosen, a nice place that was more casual than formal, but where there were high standards on behavior.  
  
"So, like, we all went down to the school, where this guy, who was like, thirty or something, and he was hanging out like he belonged there. And all the girls thought that he was just the cutest thing, but the guys, like, wanted to beat him up because nobody -that- old should be hanging around a bunch of young girls, or so they said. They're all a bunch of idiots."  
  
"I'm sure." He agreed with her, nodding absently, a small smile fixed in his face. She prattled on, continuing her long conversation on nothing, her voice floating over his head as he stared at her, creating designs on her forehead in his mind.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Jyou sighed, sinking further into the chair. His date, Yanko, smiled at him, her eyes huge behind her glasses. They were almost through with dinner, something he was grateful for. The girl, though very sweet and mild mannered, hardly ever spoke a word. She was silent through most of the meal. This was a girl that his father would approve of, someone who would stand quietly in the background, making dinner.  
  
Not that there was anything wrong with that, he was sure. His mother had always been the devoted housewife. It was just not what he wanted, personally. He wanted someone who was innovative and intelligent, who's mind was practically clicking during every conversation, jumping ahead to dissect all the variables before the last sentence was fully out of his mouth.   
  
In other words, he wanted Koushiro. However, since that was something he was not likely to have in the near future, not if the matchmaking scheme against him was any indication, he would have to settle for running to the genius as soon as this miserable date was over. At least he would be able to see the redhead while he complained about every little detail. Koushrio would listen, tell him to hide from their friend's next time, and then tell him of his latest theory.  
  
It sounded like the perfect end to a miserable date.  
  
He smiled slightly. He liked to listen to Koushiro talk, even if he wasn't always able to follow along. He had a better grasp than most of the others, but even he had a hard time understanding everything, especially when the redhead was really excited and talking quickly to pour out his thoughts before he forgot them. He would sweep his hands in grand gestures, indicating things that only existed in his mind's eye.  
  
Oh, yes. Jyou was enamored by his best friend. Or, to use a more Tai-ish term: he had it bad.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Koushiro smiled one last time as the door finally shut. As soon as he was sure the coast was clear, he rolled his eyes, his face twisting into a grimace. Keito had finally ran out of topics on the ride in the elevator, so when they had reached her door, all he had had to do was quietly usher her inside without getting trapped into visiting with her parents again.  
  
He made his way back to the elevator, then groaned as he realized that it was once again at the ground floor. He hesitated for a moment, and then made for the stairwell. The sooner he got home, the sooner he could call Jyou and relay this disaster. It would be the brightest spot of his day.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Jyou held Yanko's elbow as he guided her up the stairs. They had five minutes until her curfew, and the elevator was twelve flights above them. She had asked him to escort her up the stairs to make sure that she was not late getting home.  
  
They walked in silence. He didn't feel like having a mindless conversation with someone who would agree with everything he had to say. He looked up at the bottom of the next flight of stairs. Someone else was coming down, from what he could tell. He gently guided Yanko to the right, leaving enough space for the other person to pass.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Black eyes met blue [1] as Jyou and Koushiro both turned the corner, heading opposite ways on the seventh flight of stairs. Jyou, standing on the landing of the seventh floor, paused, coming to a standstill. For his part, Koushiro nearly stumbled down the steps to the seventh floor when he saw Jyou and a young lady stepping in his directions.   
  
Their initial reaction was to smile at each other, but Yanko's presense stemmed the impulse. Jyou swallowed, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, wishing silently that she would disappear. The redhead, looked from Jyou, the girl, and then back again, seeing the unease written on the older teen's face.  
  
He did smile then, his feet moving slowly to bring him closer. "Good evening, Jyou."  
  
"Hi, Koushiro." He turned to the girl at his side, and politely introduced them. Yanko smiled at him, and offered him a quiet greeting. "I was just taking her home. Will you wait for me?"  
  
"Of course." Koushiro nodded in agreement, saying goodbye as he continued down the stairs.   
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"That bad?" Jyou asked, coming out of the elevator to find Koushiro leaning against the wall beside it. It wasn't often that the genius relaxed in public, but he seemed to be using the wall as a support for his boneless body.  
  
"Worse. I spent the entire evening listening to the woe-begotten tales of the singular most vacuous girl in a three-hundred mile radius. The entire evening was spent listening to her list in detail the flaws and peeves of other people in relation to her own standards."  
  
Jyou raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking slightly. Koushiro caught the look and grinned back.  
  
"All in all, a trying experience." He psuehd away from the wall, and gestured toward the entrance. "I do believe it's time for you and I to head to our respective dwellings."  
  
"Yeah." Jyou followed him, taking in his outfit. In the end, the girls had settled on a plain white shirt and a black and green vest. It was simple, but flattering to his fair skin.  
  
They stepped into the evening, both looking up as if they could judge the time by the hazy smog that covered the sky of the city. They couldn't see the stars or the moon. "How was your date?" Koushiro asked.  
  
"About as bad as yours. Yanko wasn't nearly as talkative as your date sounds. She was very...quiet." He trailed off, for lack of a better word. "I think that my mother would like her [2]. Her parents have raised her to be a very sweet girl."  
  
They started walking in the general direction of the bus station. Koushiro let the silence stretch for a moment, and then followed the train of thought in his head. "But what?"  
  
"It would be like dating my mother." Jyou said, a sliver of disgust curling his lip slightly. Koushiro giggled, putting a hand to his mouth to stop the sound. "It's not funny. Think about what it would be like to date a younger version of your mother."  
  
Koushiro laughed, pausing in his stride as he convulsed in laughter. He stopped after a moment, regaining his composure almost before Jyou had a chance to realize that the redhead was acting out of character. "I'm sorry." He struggled for breath. "You have to realize, Jyou, that I don't have quite the same problem that you do, since my mother isn't really my mother."  
  
"Does that mean you'd marry her if given a chance?" Jyou turned around and faced his friend slowly, one eyebrow raised in confusion. Koushiro laughed again, this time more subdued than the first.   
  
"No. It would still be to discomforting. I'm sorry. It wasn't really that humorous to begin with. I don't know why I laughed like that."  
  
"It's fine, Koushiro." Jyou smiled, too. "Do you want to get something to eat or drink before we head home? It will give us a chance to talk."  
  
"I'd enjoy that, Jyou. Thank you. We should probably call home before our parents worry."  
  
The blue-haired teen agreed, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket as Koushiro did the same. Sometimes, modern technology was wonderful.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
[1] Jyou's eyes are what color? I haven't a clue. But if Miya has purple hair and eyes, and Ken has blue-violet hair and eyes, then it would make sense for Jyou's eyes to match his hair.  
  
[2] At some point in time, I know Jyou would have had to had parents, but for the life of me, I can't remember if we ever see his mother during the show. In either case, whether she's around or not in cannon, she is in this. She's a very meek and nurturing housewife/mother with nothing better to do that clean dishes and do laundry. I realize that not all housewives are that way, I'm just stereotyping because it's easier and she's nonessential to the plot. 


	4. And a Rainbow

Author's note: Um, wow? Oops? Dude, this is the fourth chapter. I kind of posted chapter 5 before chap 4. My bad. Sorry.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
They sat in the little cafe, smiling across the table from each other, neither in a hurry to make conversation. Koushiro was drinking green tea, sipping at it really, as it was too hot to drink quickly. On the other side of the booth, Jyou was drinking ice water, his dark eyes flickering between the sweating glass and the smiling redhead.  
  
"How was your test?" Koushiro asked, realizing at last that the silence had taken over their little corner. The rest of the cafe was buzzing with excitement, but they were off to the side, away from most of the noise.   
  
"I passed. Full marks," the blue-haired teen answered, picking up his glass and taking a small sip of water. His eyes were glued to Koushiro's face, giving the redhead his undivided attention. "How are your classes?"  
  
Jyou was eighteen and in a different class than Koushiro. The redhead shrugged. "I'm going back and forth between high school and the university. They're allowing me to work with some of the older students in the computer lab to ensure that I do not get overlooked."  
  
"Sounds challenging."  
  
"Not really. Unfortunately, the majority of what they're working on I have already bypassed. At least at the high school, I get a chance to pretend that I'm normal. At the university, everyone is taller and older than I."  
  
Jyou laughed at the forlorn expression on his face. After a moment, Koushiro joined in, his cheeks turning a light pink color as he chuckled.  
  
"Laugh all you want. I'm the one that has to suffer being walked over by vision-impaired giants. I think you're the only tall person I know that doesn't step on me." He said it with his head tilted forwards lightly, looking up at the older boy through his lashes. The over all effect made him look almost flirtatious, and Jyou's smile turned from amused to gentle.  
  
"I'll buy you stilts for your birthday." Chuckling, Koushiro shook his head and rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'd probably kill myself. I can imagine getting one of the stilts stuck in a crack in the sidewalk. I'll fall flat on my face, from a greater height than normal."  
  
"I'd catch you." Jyou said without thinking. He blushed the instant he realized what he had said. To cover his sudden embarrassment, he picked up his glass and held it to his lips, looking around the cafe to avoid eye contact.  
  
Koushiro, smiling wistfully and looking down to hide his expression, missed Jyou's discomfort, too busy trying to hide his own. "Thank you, Jyou."  
  
It was too bad that neither could bring himself to look at the other, for the expressions on their faces would have given them away.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Daisuke smiled as he stretched out on the sofa, putting his feet in Ken's lap as he rested his head in Takeru's. He smiled up at the blonde, eyes dark. "From this angle, I can see up your nose."  
  
Matt snorted, rolling his eyes as he settled himself more comfortably against Tai. They were -trying- to share a chair without sitting on one another, but so far, their efforts had only managed to make them both uncomfortable.  
  
On the floor, leaning back against the couch, Iori and Hikari were snuggled close, arms about one another. Miyako was next to them and in front of Ken, using his legs as support.  
  
Sprawled on the middle of the floor, Sora and Mimi were directing the meeting currently taking place, using the fact that Jyou and Koushiro were on dates to take the opportunity to hold a meeting on their behalf.  
  
"I don't think that the girls we set them up with tonight were very good choice. I can't honestly see Koushiro liking Keito, and I know that Jyou will be bored stiff with Yanko. We can scratch it off to a preliminary match-up, but we need to coordinate the next one better," Sora said.  
  
Mimi nodded, wrapping her arms tighter around her girlfriend and nuzzling her neck. She was sitting behind the brunette, her pink hair spread out to cover both their shoulders as she buried her nose in Sora's brown locks.  
  
"We need people that they'll actually be able to talk to," Mimi agreed. "Not just any girls will do for our boys. They have to be intelligent, witty, sophisticated, loving, fun, and pretty, of course."  
  
Her edict was followed by silence, as all the guys looked at each other. Finally, Daisuke wiggled around on the couch so that he was facing more into the room than at the ceiling.  
  
"I don't see why we don't set them up together," he said. "They're really good friends, and they get along together."  
  
Tai shifted, accidentally putting his elbow in Matt's side as he did. The blonde grunted, but didn't comment. The brunette responded to Daisuke's suggestion, "They're both smart guys, Daisuke. I'm sure that if there was a chance for them to get together, they would be."  
  
"Tai's right," Matt joined the conversation. "They're good friends. If they liked one another, they would tell each other."  
  
Everyone except Daisuke nodded in agreement. He shook his head, pushing himself into a sitting position. "You guys were best friends," He pointed out. "And you didn't get together until you were forced to admit how you felt. Just because Jyou and Izzy aren't that stupid or stubborn, there isn't a reason that they -would- have told each other how they felt."  
  
Some chuckling erupted when he insulted Tai and Matt, but he had made a point, and the others were seriously considering the possibility that he could be right.   
  
Takeru looked down at his boyfriend, running his pale hands through Daisuke's dark locks, a tender smile on his face. "I love you."  
  
The brunette smiled back at him, sitting up fully so that he could take advantage of his new leverage and lean forward to kiss Takeru. When they parted, Daisuke grinned and whispered, "I love you, too, Gilligan." 


	5. The Wish of a Heart

"And how are we going to manage this again?" asked Mimi. It was the third time in ten minutes that she had asked about the plan again, and even her sweet and patient girlfriend was growing tired from the refrain.  
  
The young brunette woman touched Mimi's cheek gently. "We're going to force them on a double-date with girls who will ditch them halfway through dinner. They'll end up eating together and then they'll -have- to go to the movies, because the passes are prepaid. So, everything's taken care of. They're stuck together for the evening."  
  
Tai, sitting at the kitchen table in his own apartment, looked up from his homework. Beside him, a groggy and bleary-eyed Matt blinked, then let his head drop to the table again. Having been momentarily distracted by his boyfriend's odd behavior, the brunette returned to the conversation and spoke up, "Are you sure that you want to do it this way?"  
  
"Would you rather they took Ken's advice?" countered Matt, his words mumbled into the surface of the table.  
  
"No!" Both girls said at once, then looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"I refuse to lock them in a closet together." Sora said.  
  
Mimi nodded in agreement. "And I wasn't going to volunteer to strip their clothes."  
  
"Besides, sex isn't the answer to everything." Hikari added, walking into the kitchen. She smiled at Mimi and Sora, who were working on a list of girls to set Jyou and Koushiro up with. Tai was doing his homework, and Mat was...snoring. "What's wrong with your boyfriend?"  
  
Tai looked up for a moment, a slight blush on his face. He coughed, returning his gaze to his homework as he spoke, "It's the answer to some things."  
  
Mimi and Sora giggled and squealed at him. Kari simply rolled her eyes, glad that she had spent the night at Miyako's and had managed to miss the going-ons of the night before. She had learned early on in Matt and Tai's relationship to find a place to stay when they stayed together. There were some things that a sister really -shouldn't- hear.  
  
"So, what girls have you come up with yet?" Kari asked, walking to stand near Mimi and Sora. The older brunette turned around and showed her their list, and Kari scanned the names. "No...no, no...no...ugh, no...I don't think any of these girls would work."  
  
"What's wrong with them?" Mimi asked, offended. Sora frowned, seeing nothing wrong with any of the names on the list.  
  
Kari shuddered. "Nothing except that you've managed to list the ten most annoying and clingy females at our school. Most of them are so desperate, they'd probably end up kidnapping Jyou and Koushiro, and then this whole plan would be for naught. What you need are two people that you trust. Or at least two that you know would never, ever go for either of them."  
  
There was silence in the kitchen as the three girls tried to think of at least two names that matched that description. Tai looked up, one eyebrow raised as he saw the defeat slowly spreading over their features. "I know two."  
  
"You do?" squealed Mimi. Tai winced as she rushed around the table and leaned over beside him. "Who?"  
  
He leaned away from her slightly, his gaze moving past her to settle on the top of Matt's head. "Matt?" The blonde grunted, showing that he wasn't really asleep. "Give me the names of two girls guaranteed to be willing to help you."  
  
The blonde looked up, one light-colored eyebrow raised, his eyes slightly focused. Their eyes met, and a smile slowly grew on Matt's face. "Jun."  
  
"That's one," encouraged Tai.  
  
Matt shrugged. "That's all you need. Find Jun and whatever rabid fangirl that's with her, and ask them to do it."  
  
A grin formed on Tai's face, his eyes taking on a devilish gleam. "Yama? Guess what?"  
  
Matt's smile disappeared and he shook his head. "No. No way, Taichi. That's like asking me to walk into the cage of a starving lion wearing T-bone underwear [1]. They'll eat me alive!"  
  
"I love you, Yamato."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
When someone knocked on the door to the Izumi apartment, Koushiro had the good sense to look in the peephole before answering it. On discovering that it was Ken on his doorstep, his arm gripped by a determined looking Miyako, Koushiro showed that he was once again the holder of Knowledge. He pressed his lips together and silently backed away from the door, careful not to make a sound.  
  
His parents weren't home, and weren't expected back for a couple more hours, so as long as he stayed silent, his 'friends' would go away...  
  
The knock came again and he winced. If he opened that door, he knew that the short peace that he'd enjoyed in the last week would come to an end. He knew without a doubt that they had another date for him, just as he knew that whatever girl they had pulled out of the woodwork would probably be another Keito, with an annoying squeaky voice and the personality of a hummingbird on amphetamines.  
  
It was his own fault that he failed to see that the table in the entryway had been moved a little from the wall and tilted, so that the leg of the table was now sticking out into the hallway. If he had turned around, he would have saw it; but he didn't. He took two quick steps back when Miyako knocked again, and his left leg connected with the table leg, sending him sprawling backwards, the table and everything on it spilling onto him and the floor.  
  
On the other side of the door, Ken and Miyako heard the crash of the table as it fell and Koushiro's grunt when everything landed on him. They looked at each other and smiled. Miyako knocked again, speaking this time so that Koushiro would know just who was waiting for him on the other side, "Izzy? Open up! We have a surprise for you!"  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Jyou frowned, not knowing whether to be concerned with the satisfied grins that Mimi, Sora and Tai were throwing his way, or the sympathetic and fatigued gaze that Matt's eyes were following his movements with.  
  
Mimi smiled at him, her russet-colored eyes glowing. "It will be fun! We've found a great girl! We know you'll have a great time tonight!" she enthused, much as she had done for the past hour. Jyou was dressed to kill (and wishing that they'd just kill him). His tall form was once again encased in dress slacks, a white dress shirt and his blue blazer. However, Mimi had decided that he needed something more, and Sora had been quick to agree with her.  
  
He found himself wincing as he looked in the mirror, the flourescent light of the bathroom glinting off the gold chain around his neck everytime he changed position. Mimi and Sora set about adjusting his cloths, straigthening his collar and playing with his hair, leaving Jyou ample time to turn his thoughts elsewhere.  
  
Koushiro was the first thing on his mind, and he wondered what the little redhead was doing now; if Daisuke and Takeru had decided to torture him, or if he was off the hook for the night. The last thought made Jyou smile slightly. If one of them didn't have to suffer this embarrassment, Jyou was glad that it was Koushiro.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" Tai asked suspiciously.  
  
Jyou blinked, dark blue eyes catching the brunette's brown gaze. He wasn't given time to think up a suitable lie, so he answered truthfully, "I was just wondering if you guys had set Koushiro up, too?"  
  
Tai held his gaze steadily and nodded. Behind Jyou's back, Mimi and Sora were exchanging surprised but happy glances. Sitting on the top of the toilet, Matt perked up, a small smile playing about his lips.   
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Daisuke and Takeru looked at each other and sighed in defeat. They had asked Jun very nicely if she would do them a favor and go out with Jyou. She had laughed at them before she realized they were serious, and then had slammed the door in their faces.  
  
The redhead leaned into his boyfriend, and they embraced lightly, pressing their cheeks together. "I guess we have no choice," said Daisuke. Takeru nodded in agreement. They broke apart, and Daisuek turned to the door. "Jun? We only asked because Matt wanted to know."  
  
The door opened almost immediately, and his sister stood staring at them skeptically. "Ishida Yamato asked you to ask me to go out with Jyou? What do I get in return?"  
  
The boys looked at each other and nodded. Takeru said, "Two backstage passes...-if-," he stressed the word. "If you can get another girl to double with you and Jyou as Koushiro's date."  
  
The young woman thought about it, leaning against her doorframe and biting her lip. "I guess Jyou really isn't that bad. He -is- rather cute, though I think his older brother Shuu is better looking. Netami owes me a favor, so I bet she'd be willing to go out with Koushiro, at least for one date."  
  
Another look between the boys, and Daisuke spoke up, "Actually, it wouldn't really be a date. See..."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"How long were you going to make us wait, Izzy?" Asked Miyako impatiently once Koushiro had managed to unbury himself and had opened the door. By the time he had managed to let them in, the group outside his door had grown from two to four. Hikari and Iori both followed Ken and Miyako into the Izumi apartment.  
  
"I'm sorry. I had an accident." He didn't mention that if he hadn't 'had an accident', he wouldn't have let them in at all. "What may I help you with?" he asked politely.  
  
Miyako, Hikari and Iori looked at Ken expectantly, and the young genius turned to Koushiro with a sheepish expression. "We've managed to find another girl that we think would suit you, and we were hoping that you were free tonight."  
  
Koushiro could have lied. It would have been the smart thing to do, since he already knew what they wanted and what would happen. If he lied, they wouldn't know it...but he would. He sighed.  
  
"Who?" Miyako and Hikari grinned at his response and started pulling him towards his room before he was answered. Iori and Ken both gave him apologetic smiles before they trailed along behind the other three.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
  
[1] This was paraphrased from 'Timon and Pumbaa'. Don't ask. 


	6. As Tethered by the Storm

"It's a double date, so you won't have to worry about entertaining her that much," Mimi assured Jyou, for what he was convinced was the thirtieth time.  
  
"Who exactly am I going out with tonight?" asked Jyou, eyeing his friends patiently. They had managed to evade the question the entire time he was getting dressed, but they no longer had the distraction of choosing his clothes to keep them from answering.  
  
Tai and Matt exchanged a glance, before Matt grimaced and met Jyou's dark blue gaze with his own eyes blue orbs. "Jun."  
  
"Daisuke's sister?" The expression of shock on Jyou's face was quickly replaced with exapseration. "Jun? The girl that won't stop stalking you? What did you bribe her with?"  
  
Another look passed between Matt and his boyfriend before they both decided that it would be safer not to answer. Jyou glared at them.  
  
"Thanks, guys. It's nice to know that you're willing to -buy- my date for me." He was interrupted from saying more by a knock at the door. Sora beat him to it, and opened it. Jun and another young woman stood there, both wearing identical outfits.  
  
Jyou winced.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Koushiro sighed in resignation, one hand coming up to tug at his collar. The shirt was making him itch, and the looks that the other four kept giving him was making him more nervous with each passing second.  
  
They were all waiting expectantly, so he could only assume that his date was coming to -him-. At least if he wasn't in charge of getting her home, the evening would end quicker.  
  
Ken was sitting on his chair, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Koushiro. Miyako was leaning against the chair, her right hand playing with Ken's hair. Occassionally, she'd lean down and whisper in his ear, or brush her lips against his cheek. Whenever she did, he'd look up at her with a small smile that quickly disappeared. He was mad at her, or trying to be, and having a hard time expressing that.  
  
Iori and Hikari were cuddling on the couch, their arms around each other. They weren't kissing or making out, for which Koushiro was glad. He already felt out of place, he didn't need their displays of affection making him feel worse.  
  
Someone knocked on the door, and Koushiro steeled himself. Miyako answered it, being closest. Daisuke and Takeru entered first, holding hands and wearing goofy smiles. Behind them followed Jun and another girl that Koushiro recognized from his school, though he couldn't place her name.  
  
"Hey, Izzy," Jun greeted him with an easy smile, distracting him as a another person entered the apartment behind her and her friend. "I'm sure that you know Mika, right? She's your date for tonight, so get whatever you need and let's go."  
  
Koushiro stared at her for a minute, and then turned to look at each of his friends in turn before shrugging and deciding that it wasn't worth his time to struggle. "Hi, Jun, Mika." He smiled at them both cordially, standing up.  
  
That's when he noticed the fifth person to enter his apartment.  
  
"Jyou?" He couldn't keep the happy surprise from his voice.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Thirty minutes later, in the Kido apartment, the group of matchmakers had rebanded.  
  
"It was funny. You should have been there," Daisuke recounted excitedly. He had the undivided attention of Tai, Matt, Sora, and Mimi as he told them about Koushiro's reaction to finding out that he was going on a double date with Jyou. "He looked like we were going to execute him, and then he sees Jyou, and all of a sudden he's all happy and what-not."  
  
"It was pretty interesting." Admitted Ken, smiling slightly. "I had to admit, I had my doubts, but seeing Izzy's face light up when he saw Jyou pretty much settles it."  
  
"Although we don't really know how Jyou feels, because he was kind of warned ahead of time," Miyako added. "It's possible that he doesn't feel the same way, but I'm hoping that he does. So far, we've all managed to find our soulmate within the group, so it would only make sense if Jyou did return Izzy's feelings."  
  
"Um...the actually likelihood of them being meant for each other is pretty slim." Iori disagreed. "There are so many factors and variables involved that to say that they're made for each other would be like saying that Takeru and I should be together, or Ken and Daisuke, or some other such thing. Think about it. We all jogressed, but none of us are dating our Jogress partners."  
  
"That's a good point, Iori," Takeru nodded. "Even though ten of twelve have have found their other half in the group, there is no guarantee that Jyou and Koushiro will end up the same way. At this point, we cannot make the assumption that they're going to end up together."  
  
"You just have to put a damper on things, don't you?" Mimi looked at the four who had spoken with an expression of shock and dismay. "Look, I know Jyou and Izzy. If anyone in this group was perfect for either one of them, it would be them...I mean, out of the group, Jyou and Izzy are the best suited to become a couple."  
  
Sora touched her cheek gently, silencing Mimi with a small smile. They held eye contact as the brunette spoke, "I think that there is a big chance that they do care for each other, but the only thing we can do is put them together as much as possible in the hopes that they realize it, too."  
  
Tai looked at his watch and sighed. "It's getting late, and we should all be heading home. Daisuke, when your sister comes in, make sure that everything went according to plan. Takeru, you're staying at his place tonight, right? Make sure he remembers to ask."  
  
"Yes, sir," Takeru saluted his brother's boyfriend with a grin. Daisuke rolled his eyes. The group disbanded with the agreement to meet again the following day to check up on what had happened.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Daisuke and Takeru walked to Daisuke's apartment, holding hands, their shoulders pressed together. "I spy, with my littel eye, something...pink."  
  
The blonde rolled his eyes, but played along. "The neon sign in the window?" he guessed.   
  
"How'd you guess?" Daisuek feigned surprise, then laughed when Takeru rolled his eyes again. They walked for a moment in silence, and then Daisuke halted, and pulled Takeru to a stop beside him. He looked into his boyfriend's eyes. "I love you."  
  
Takeru grinned and kissed him softly on the lips. When he pulled back, he reached his free hand up to run his fingers over Daisuke's bottom lip. "I love you, too."  
  
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" The redhead asked, his dark eyes serious.  
  
"You mean with Jyou and Izzy? I think we should have left things alone from the start, but it's a little too late for that. At this point, I say we just sit back and let things happen as they will."  
  
"I feel bad now, because I was the one that pointed out that I thought they should be -together-. What if I was wrong? What if they don't like each other and we've made a terrible mistake?"  
  
"What if they're in love and realize it because of us? We don't know what's going to happen, Dai. We just have to wait it out."  
  
The redhead thought about it for a moment, and then breathed out in a huff. "If this doesn't work, I say we go with Ken's idea."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
On another street, heading the other way, Mimi and Sora were holding a similar conversation as they walked to the Tachikawa's apartment.  
  
"I think they're in love. I didn't realize it until Daisuke said anything, but it seems that I'm fairly blind when it comes to our friends." Sora's voice held a fair amount of sadness and self-loathing.  
  
The pink-haired Mimi reached out and took the brunette's hand, giving it a squeeze of support. "You're not perfect. You can't be expected to see everything all of the time, you know."  
  
"I know." They walked on in silence for a moment, before Mimi's lips began to curl into a smile.  
  
"You know, if they end up together, we can all go out in one big group. Can you imagine the looks we'll get with the twelve of us?"  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"We're not locking them in a closet," Miyako was fighting to keep the smile from her face. Ken was looking at her with a pleading expression, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "No, Ken."  
  
"But, Mi~ya," he whined, holding his clasped hands out in front of him. He was kneeling in front of her on the sidewalk and the people around them were giving them funny looks.  
  
"No." She started walking again. He stood up and eyed her back for a moment before following.  
  
"Miya." His voice was low and sultry, and she automatically shivered in response. "My darling."  
  
She looked back at him, saw the smile on his face and the look in his eyes, and started running. Laughing, he chased her.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Iori raised an eyebrow and eyed his opponent calmly. Beside him, Hikari yawned, growing bored with watching her boyfriend and her brother play cards. Her brown eyes moved over to Matt, who seemed a little more awake than he had earlier, but who was now sporting a frown. Obviously, she wasn't the only person that had expected more attention from her significant other.  
  
Tai was eyeing Iori in return, a grin on his face as he waited for the younger boy to make his move. Finally, Iori's green eyes flicked up and he smiled.  
  
"Go fish."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Next chapter: The wonderful, funderfull double date! Oh, I'm so excited! 


	7. Breaking Free of Bonds

The wonderful, funderfull date! What good things lie in store for Koushiro and Jyou? Will the matchmaking schemes of their friends prove a disaster? Or will Rae continue on with more of her sap/fluff writing? Does this author ever do anything non-happy? (don't answer that!)  
  
[Rae, holding an umbrella and looking at the sky] "You know, in the first one, there was rain. In the second I -think- there was rain. Somehow, the rain has disintegrated. I wonder what that means?"  
  
I do not need released from my insanity. I'm quite happy wallowing in it.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Koushiro bit his lip as Mika and Jun broke out once again in loud laughter. Everyone else on the subway had long since given up on trying to shush them. They were sitting on opposite sides of the transport, but leaning over to talk, their voices raised above the sound of the subway train as it took them to their destination.   
  
In a silent attempt to restore some sanity, he caught Jyou's eye and smiled. The older teen smiled back, raising a hand to wave self-consciously. They didn't attempt to speak, knowing that anything they had to say would be drowned out by their 'dates'.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"Jyou, you can order for me. However, I don't like..." Jun listed off the items she liked and didn't like, ignoring the pained look on Jyou's face as he tried to remember everything.   
  
Mika was sitting quietly at Koushiro's side, her head tilted away from him. He had a feeling that she didn't really want to be there, but he couldn't figure out why she would be there if she didn't want to be.  
  
When the waitress came by, Koushiro looked at his date. "Would you like me to order?"  
  
"Whatever." The girl shrugged, giving him a look that said she didn't care if he ordered her raw chicken, as long as he didn't talk to her while he did it.  
  
He looked at Jyou. "May I?"  
  
The relief in Jyou's face made Koushiro glad he had offered. "Do you mind?"  
  
"Not at all." He turned to the waitress and ordered for the four of them, remembering to account for Jun's pickiness when he chose her dish. When he was done, his eyes went to Jyou's instinctively. The blue-haired man smiled back at him.   
  
"Thank you." They smiled at each other before being brought back to reality by Jun clearing her throat. Loudly.  
  
"Thanks, Izzy." Her eyes were boring into him, and he was suddenly aware of how odd his exchange with Jyou must have looked to her and Mika. He blushed, ducking his head. She chuckled slightly and looked at Mika. Their eyes met and Jun winked at her friend.  
  
Jyou saw the silent communication, but could make nothing of it. He took a sip from a complementary glass of water and tried to watch Koushiro without being too obvious about it.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"How long do you think it takes two girls to go the the bathroom?" Jyou asked, staring in the general direction that the girls had taken when they excused themselves from the table ten minutes before. "They've been gone an awefully long time."  
  
"I don't know," Izzy answered with a shrug, eyeing his plate hungrily. The girls had left the table just as the main course was being served and hadn't returned. He sighed, knowing how rude it would be if they started eating before the girls returned. He looked at Jyou. "Do you think we should ask the waitress to check on them?"  
  
"Excuse me? Izzy and Jyou, right?" The waitress chose that moment to return to their table, wearing an uncertain expression and wringing her hands.  
  
Koushiro smiled at her gently, taking pity on her. She seemed very nervous suddenly, though he couldn't figure why. The food was fine, and she'd served them in a timely and friendly manner. "That would be us. How may we help you?"  
  
"The two girls you were with asked me to give you a message. They said 'don't worry, we're were leaving. Have a nice dinner and enjoy the movie.'" She grimaced as the words rushed out of her mouth. "They left just a minute ago."  
  
"They're gone?" Jyou asked, his jaw dropping. "They just walked out?"  
  
"Yeah?" It was more of a question than an answer.   
  
Koushiro and Jyou looked at each other for a solid minute, both unable to comprehend quite what had happened. Finally, Koushiro's lips twitched. "We have been abandoned."  
  
"Ditched," agreed Jyou, his own lips fighting a smile. They broke out in laughter. "I don't think I've ever been more relieved to have someone run away from a date with me than I am right now."  
  
"You know you've reached a new low when you find yourself feeling relieved when your date leaves you stranded."  
  
"We're not stranded. We have prepaid movie passes courtesy of Sora and Mimi, and we have each other."  
  
And they both silently agreed that that was better than a double-date any day.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"Please don't make me watch another minute of this," groaned Jyou, ducking his head.  
  
Koushiro tore his gaze away from the screen long enough to see the agony on his friend's face. He smiled, holding out the small tub of popcorn he held in his hand. "Have some."  
  
Jyou looked at it and shook his head. "No thanks. I'd rather not have my arteries clogged before the age of twenty. I've never really pictured you as a popcorn person."  
  
"I'm not, not really. Tai used to drag me along to all of his action movies, the shoot 'em dead, blood and violence ones. We -always- had to have popcorn, or it wasn't a proper movie."  
  
"You two used to be really close, didn't you?" Jyou asked, curious. He ignored the movie. It was a 'romantic comedy', with more kissing than jokes. It made him uncomfortable, especially since it was a 'date' movie, and he was supposed to be with a 'friend'. Sometimes, he really didn't think life was fair.  
  
Koushiro shrugged at his question, lowering the popcorn tub to the floor, its contents uneaten. "Kind of. When Matt and Sora first started dating, Tai felt left out. He was constantly at my place or inviting me to his house. I think he was trying to fill the void left without the two people he counted as his best friends."  
  
"Hmm. Did you feel used?"  
  
"No. Why would I have? We -were- friends, so it wasn't like he was using me for temporary relief from boredom, or something. In the end, I just wasn't as cool as Matt, or as comforting as Sora. I'm just Izzy." He said it simply, but Jyou caught the self-conscious glance that Koushiro directed at his hands.  
  
His hand reached out, tilting Koushiro's face up so that their eyes met. "I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't you."  
  
"Thank you, Jyou. That means a lot to me." They stared into each other's eyes for a few more seconds, and then both broke contact at the same time. They stared intently at the movie screen, though neither would be able to say what they'd seen after that point. They were both too lost inside their own thoughts.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
A short, swift and fluffy chapter. The next part should hopefully be up soon, though I make no promises. Do I have an estimate of how long this fic will be?   
  
Will it be ending soon? [I don't have a clue]  
  
Do I have any idea where this is heading? [Um...no?]  
  
Am I an idiot with a license to write? [nods head vigorously] [yes!]   
  
Is there something else I have to do before I finish this? [Not really, I'm just feeling really lazy and I don't want to write]  
  
Do I have a life? [What's that?] 


	8. To Reach the Rainbow

The movie ended soon enough, and Koushiro and Jyou made their way through the crowd, the short redhead being jostled. Finally, Jyou wrapped an arm around Koushiro's shoulder so that they wouldn't get separated. It seemed that the movie theatre had been exceptionally busy.  
  
By the time they were out of the throng of people, they were on a side street. The traffic was light, and most of the crowd seemed to be moving in the other direction, so they continued on in that direction.   
  
In the shadows that battled with the streetlights, Koushiro was fighting a blush. Jyou's arm was still over his shoulder, and he was pressed against the taller boy's side. It wasn't uncomfortable by any means. In fact, Koushiro liked being surrounded by Jyou's warmth. However, it was a little awkward to be that close while still maintaining the visage of 'friends'.  
  
"The movie was horrible. No wonder Mimi and Sora gave us the tickets. They didn't want to suffer through it themselves," Jyou complained, his long legs taking short strides to match Koushiro's.  
  
The redhead tried to laugh, but it came out nervously. It seemed to trigger something in Jyou's mind, because the blue-haired teen suddenly pulled his arm back, his cheeks flaming. They were half a block from the theatre, and he had -just- remember to let go.  
  
"It was rather uninspiring. I imagine they thought it would be somewhat better than it turned out to be. We can not blame them too much. They were nice enough to give us the tickets for free."  
  
Jyou nodded in agreement as they continued to walk. Suddenly, Koushiro stopped, his breath being drawn in in an astonished gasp. "What?"  
  
"Jyou, they only gave you two tickets?" He asked, his dark eyes looking up and searching Jyou's gaze.  
  
"Yes. Why?" He was confused. Koushiro thought for a moment, his expression moving between horror, shock, amusement, and confusion. "Izzy? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Koushiro said distractedly. "Are you walking me home?"  
  
"I thought I would."  
  
"Then I'll tell you when we get there."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"Hello, mother." Koushiro smiled at his mom as he led Jyou into the kitchen.   
  
"Hi, Izzy. Welcome, Jyou. How was your date, boys?" Jyou looked at Koushiro and shrugged. The redhead was shaking his head.  
  
"They left during dinner."  
  
"Really? What happened?" She looked at them in surprise.  
  
"We don't know," Jyou answered.  
  
"I think I might," Koushiro contradicted him. The redhead was speculative as he pulled a chair out at the kitchen table. "Mother, could we be alone for a moment?"  
  
"Of course, Izzy. I'll be in the bedroom."  
  
"Thank you." He waited until she was out of the room and Jyou was sitting before speaking. "I think our friends are setting us up."  
  
"For what? Or with who?"  
  
"For a date with each other." Koushiro said, swallowing hard as he said it. It was one thing to think it and to be fairly certain. It was another to speak his suspicions aloud and to share them with Jyou.  
  
Jyou's eyes widened in shock and he stared at Koushiro for several seconds. Finally, he dropped his head to the table. "I'm sorry."  
  
"For what? It's not your fault that our friends are determined to set us up with someone. Actually, trying to get us together is probably the next most logical step. We're friends, as were the others before they started dating each other. Going by the way things have occurred, I belief that they wanted you and I to go on a date, but they didn't want to set us up outright."  
  
"Great. Our friends not only think they're matchmakers, but they're also sly."  
  
"The subterfuge might have worked, but they only gave us two movie passes. If the four of us were meant to go to the movies, there would have been four passes."  
  
Jyou looked up, his blue eyes dark. Their gazes met and they smiled awkwardly. Jyou cleared his throat and asked, "Why did they try to pretend that they we were on a date with Jun and the other girl?"  
  
"Mika. I don't know. I guess are best course of action would be to ask them directly."  
  
"It's too late tonight." Jyou looked at his watch. "I have to be going. If I don't catch the ten o'clock, I'll have to walk home."  
  
"You can spend the night," offered Koushiro, standing up. "We have the extra futon we can retrieve from the closet and there are extra linens in a cupboard."  
  
Jyou thought about it for a moment and then nodded, smiling slightly. "Thanks. I don't like walking late at night. I could get mugged or beaten or killed."  
  
"Abducted or run over," Koushiro added with a small smile. Jyou looked at him for a moment and then chuckled.  
  
"I'm not paranoid."  
  
"You're cautious."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
The following morning, Koushiro woke up at seven-thirty. He took clean clothes into the bathroom and changed out of his pajamas. He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen. He hesitated in the doorway to the kitchen and turned around.  
  
The futon was set up in the living room near a wall. Koushiro smiled slightly as he walked closer. Jyou had pulled it in there the night before insisting that he didn't want to keep Koushiro awake if he snored. It probably would have been just as comfortable to sleep on the couch as it was on the futon, but Koushiro hadn't argued.  
  
He licked his lips as he knelt beside the futon, his face coming even with Jyou's as the older teen slept. He was wrapped from neck to toe in the blanket that he'd been provided. His head was turned at an angle, so that he was staring at the corner where the far wall and ceiling met.  
  
Koushiro smiled at the picture Jyou made, with his long hair splayed across the picture, several strands resting against his cheek and chin. If he tilted his head just slightly, he'd end up with a mouthful of his own hair.  
  
Black eyes took in the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and the gentle parting of his lips as he breathed through his mouth. He didn't snore, Koushiro noted, but he breathed heavily and deeply.  
  
With a deep breath to gather his courage, Koushiro reached out with his right hand and gently smoothed the hair back from Jyou's face. The older teen shifted and he held his breath, but Jyou didn't wake up. He breathed a sigh of relief and moved his hand back.  
  
Jyou was beautiful as he slept. He looked so peaceful laying there that Koushiro's throat was tight. He wanted to to get up and lie behind the older teen, rapping his arm around Jyou's waist as he cuddled against his back. He wanted to breath in the essence of his best friend until it consumed him.   
  
So he did  
  
~~~~~______~~~~~  
  
Jyou started to wake up twenty minutes later. The first thing he was aware of was that there was a foreign weight around his waist and a warm pressure against his back. The second thing he noticed was that someone was awake and moving around in the kitchen. After a moment, he saw Mrs. Izumi walk across the kitchen as she cooked, so that answered the question of who was in the kitchen.  
  
That didn't answer who was in bed with him. He shifted slightly, moving closer to the edge while twisting his body so that he was laying on his back. He gasped when he Koushiro moved with him so that the redhead was resting against Jyou's side, his head on the taller boy's chest, his arm still around his waist.  
  
The sound didn't go unnoticed. Mrs. Izumi poked her head around the corner and saw her son and his friend. She smiled and ducked back out before Jyou saw her. Koushiro's lashes fluttered, and suddenly black eyes were staring into blue.  
  
"Um..." Koushiro murmured, his brain cloudy with sleep and proximity to Jyou. He lifted the arm around Jyou's waist to wave it in a vague manner and then let it rest again. "Good morning?"  
  
"Morning," Jyou returned the greeting just as hesitantly. "Izzy?" He was whispering quietly so that Mrs. Izumi wouldn't hear them.  
  
"Yeah?" Koushiro whispered back.  
  
"Why are you...when did you...how...why?" He finished lamely, not knowing what to ask first. Why was Koushiro in bed with him, when and how did he get there, and why couldn't his first reaction have been to take advantage of the situation? Tai would have. Davis, Matt, or any of the others would have jumped at the chance to be this close to the person they loved, and yet Jyou could do nothing more than stare mutely at his friend.  
  
Of course, he wasn't any of them. He was just Jyou, and maybe that was enough, because it was just Jyou that was sitting on a futon with Koushiro wrapped around him.  
  
"I apologize." Koushiro said breathlessly.  
  
"Don't." Jyou forced the word out before he could think twice. He raised his right hand tentatively and brushed the back of his knuckles against Koushiro's cheek in a gentle caress. He cleared his throat and tried again, his voice low, not to preserve their privacy this time, but to hold the mood of tenderness that he felt in that instant.  
  
He licked his lips and watched as Koushiro did the same, the redhead's black eyes flickering between his lips and his eyes. "Jyou?" The blue-haired teen smiled and leaned forward quickly, capturing Koushiro's lips in a kiss that would have made Tai proud.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
My first thought after reading this is: why in hell would Koushiro just suddenly decide to jump into bed with Jyou?  
  
He, he. That'd be telling, wouldn't it? 


	9. The Touch of True Love

Shock, surprise, wonder, awe and pleasure went through Koushiro in turn as he finally realized that, yes indeed, Jyou was kissing him. At first, he had been afraid that it had been a dream. It would make sense. Koushiro wasn't exactly the kind of person that normally cralwed into bed with his sleeping best friend.  
  
For once, he hadn't thought before he acted, which he should probably be thankful for, since the results were far beyond anything he could have hoped for. He had expected and hoped that Jyou would just accept that it had happened without questioning the motives behind the action. At the moment, Jyou didn't seem to be questioning anything.  
  
Koushiro used his right hand to press closer to Jyou, levering his body so that he was leaning over Jyou's chest, his left hand moving to a spot on the cushion just above Jyou's shoulder. The kiss remained unbroken.  
  
A long-fingered hand curled around the back of Koushiro's neck, the fingers curling into his hair as the kiss deepened, Jyou slipping his tongue past Koushiro's pliant, open mouth.   
  
They broke apart when a loud clattering came from the kitchen. Mrs. Izumi had dropped a pan in the kitchen. Two dazed pair of eyes met each other in a mingling of shock and fear. They froze, their bodies still close as they heard footsteps approach from down the hall.  
  
"Honey, are you okay?" called Mr. Izumi has be bypassed the living room and entered the kitchen. He disappeared from view and the boys returned their gazes to each other. Koushiro scrambled back, barely managing to catch himself before he fell over the end of the futon. Jyou sat up and moved back to the other end, until they were sitting at opposite ends of the futon, breathless and fearful.  
  
"Jyou?" Koushiro's voice broke the silence that had stolen over them. His black eyes slid from Jyou's gaze to stare at the rumpled blanket as his shoulders slumped. He didn't say anything else. He was waiting for Jyou to speak first. Admittedly, he had been the one to crawl into the bed, but Jyou had been the one to initiate the kiss.  
  
"Izzy," Mr. Izumi spoke from the doorway. "Your mother burned breakfast, so what do you say to picking up something quick from the cornerstore?"  
  
"Sure, Dad." Koushiro nodded, getting off the futon slowly. He passed Jyou without looking at him.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Jyou left a few minutes after Koushiro. They hadn't spoken before then, and it was with a heavy heart that Jyou shut the door to the Izumi apartment behind him. On the bright side, it was Koushiro, who was practical and dependable. Jyou might have been the holder of Reliablity, but it was Koushiro he turned to when he needed something.  
  
He took the stairs down to the lobby and made his slow and depressed way home.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
When Koushiro returned to the apartment, he was surprised that Jyou wasn't there. He had hoped that the ten minutes it would take him to get to the store would be time enough for them both to have a chance to think things through.  
  
They were friends, and Koushiro knew that they could handle whatever it was that was between them now if they just talked about it.   
  
"I'm sorry, Izzy. He left shortly after you did. Said that he had to go home." His mother shrugged as she answered his inquiry into Jyou's whereabouts. "Is something the matter, honey?" She asked, concerned.  
  
"I'm not sure. I thought that he might be upset, but he...he normally talks to me when needs to talk to someone." Sighing, Koushiro sat down in the same chair he had occupied the night before. "Sometimes, I believe that the world mocks me. Whether it be a quirk of fate or the joke of a prankster deity, I feel as if everything that happens is meant to be a cosmic joke at my expense."  
  
"Oh, Izzy." His mother hugged him with one arm. "I'm sure that that's not it. Sometimes things just happen for no reason. The only thing you can do is make the best of it."  
  
"Did you know that they estimate that eleven percent of the world's population is gay. The population of Japan is one point three million dollars. At eleven percent, there are approximately one hundred and forty-three thousand gay men and women in this country."  
  
"And that proves what, exactly?"  
  
"Nothing. It just means that there is a one in ten chance that Jyou could possible like me. And the chances of one person finding their soulmate is said to be one in a million, so the chances of Jyou being my soulmate and the both of us realizing it is beyond one in over a trillion."  
  
"Not great odds," his mother agreed. "I'm assuming that being with Jyou is something you want?"  
  
He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Mother, I know for a fact that when you came into the kitchen this morning, you checked on him. And if you checked on him, you saw me there, so do not try to fool me. I know better."  
  
She sighed and ruffled his hair. "My son is too smart for his own good. I guess I should stop pretending. I think that Jyou is a wonderful young man and if he's what you want, he's what you should get. I guess next time I should insist on putting the futon in your room so that you boys have a semblance of privacy."  
  
"Mother," he entreated, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to worry about Jyou and I cavorting through the apartment, but you know that the both of us have more respect for you and father than to act promiscuously."  
  
"And?" She looked at him, knowing by his expression and the way he finished the last sentence that he wanted to say more.  
  
"A relationship is not quantified by sex. It can be a beautiful thing, something spiritual and binding between two people, but it should not be the basis for any relationship. Eventually, you get tired of a person if there is no common ground, if there is nothing between them that gives them a reason to be together."  
  
She smiled at him, proud of the young man that she had raised. "He should be home by now, if you want to call him. I'm sure that he's had long enough to get over waking up with you in bed with him."  
  
Koushiro smiled slightly, looking up at the phone with a hopeful expression. "I know he won't be mad, but I feel bad. It's not like...I do not believe that either of us has ever given the other a reason to believe that we should be anything other than friends. It worries me that I do not know how he'll react."  
  
"You've faced a lot together, I'm sure that this is something that you can work out. Hopefully, when you're done, I'll have another son."  
  
"Mother."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Shuu handed him the phone the moment he stepped into the apartment. "It's Izzy."  
  
"Thanks." Jyou took the phone automatically, but couldn't bring himself to speak into it.   
  
"Jyou?" Koushiro's voice came over the wire sounding distant and worried.  
  
"Izzy," he used the nickname that he hadn't used in three years in a desperate attempt to marshal his feelings. "What's up?"  
  
"I was wondering if you would be willing to...meet with me. It's not even eleven yet, so we have all day if you have other plans. I wouldn't presume that I can monopolize your time, either. It wouldn't take too long, I promise. I just...there are some things that I want to..." He trialed off uncertainly.  
  
"I'd be happy to meet with you, Koushiro." He looked at his watch. "We can meet after lunch, or we could meet -for- lunch, if you'd like."  
  
"Lunch would be good," Koushiro said quickly. Jyou smiled.  
  
"How about the cart at the east end of the Odaiba Park."  
  
"It sounds great. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes?"  
  
"Half an hour." They hung up soon after, and Jyou ran it his room to find clean clothes. His brother's looked up from their various studies to watch him fly by the living room.  
  
"Jyou?" Shin called.  
  
"Yeah?" He answered from his room.  
  
"Were you planning to study today?" Asked Shuu.  
  
There was silence for a moment, and then Jyou reentered the room shirtless, two shirts in hand. "No," he answered quickly, then held the shirts up to his neck. "Which do you think looks better?"  
  
They looked at each other before turning their glances back to him. Hiding his smirk efficiently, Shuu pointed to the blue with a serious expression. "I think the blue brings out your eyes."  
  
Shin shook his head. "No. I definitely thing the black would contrast better with your complexion." They looked at each other again and broke into laughter. Jyou stared at them for a moment, looked at the shirts in his hands, and then stalked back to his room to find another shirt.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Rae's still feeling maniacal, and I don't know why. I'd suggest locking myself in the closet, but...it's occupied.   
  
Okay, bad joke. I'm in a very happy mood today, so I'm posting two chapters. I'm sorry, Energy, that chapter 7 didn't have what you wanted, and I hope that 8 made up for it somewhat. Yes, I know that it was rather innocent, but what would you expect from our redheaded genius and the local hypochondriac?  
  
This is still ongoing but an end is in sight (I think). Enjoy the weather, kiddies, cause the storms a'coming. 


	10. Gliding In a Gentle Kiss

It was raining outside when Jyou exited his apartment building for the street. He opened his umbrella and started toward the park. It hadn't been raining when he'd walked home a couple hours before, but it was making up for that now. The raindrops were quarter-sized and the gutters along the roadside were already flooding.  
  
He walked quickly, his long legs making the trip to the park in good time. He avoided the mud puddles and wet grass by keeping to the sidewalks. The park was empty and the noodle-cart by the bench that normally served lunch was empty. As was the bench.  
  
Blue eyes scanned the surrounding area, but there was no one else around. He looked at his watch, noting that he had five minutes left before Koushiro was supposed to meet him.   
  
Without thinking about it, he sat down on the bench and then jumped back to his feet. The seat of the bench was wet, and so was his backside now. He grimaced, pulling the wet material away from his butt with the hand that wasn't holding the umbrella.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Koushiro sighed and pulled his arms tighter against his chest. The wind was as cold as the rain and he was only wearing a light T-shirt. The material was already wet and clinging coldly to his skin, making him shiver. He was waiting for the rain to stop under the awning of a restaurant, but the weather showed no sign of clearing in the near future. Leaving his house without a jacket or umbrella was not one of the smartest things he had ever done in his life.  
  
His carelessness could only be attributed to the excitement he felt when he thought of being in Jyou's company once again. He hadn't expected his friend to leave while he was gone that morning, but given the situation he wasn't overly surprised. Jyou wasn't an outgoing or overly talkative person so it was logical that he would feel uncomfortable broaching the subject of what had happened.  
  
It wasn't every day that you woke up next to your best friend and then kissed him. It was even conceivable that time and space should be given in light of such a situation. However, Koushiro was curious. He wanted to know what Jyou was thinking and why Jyou had reacted like that. After he received the answers to those questions, he'd ask if it was possible that it could happen again.   
  
Of course, that would lead to the admittance of his feelings and would probably result in a long talk between the two of them. Situations such as the one they were in couldn't be handled without a certain degree of delicacy and tact, neither of which were Jyou's greatest talents. Koushiro could handle directing most of the conversation. He even had a general idea of what he wanted to say. Rash words and rushed speeches could backfire.   
  
Now all he had to do was wait for the rain to stop so that he could find Jyou and begin their conversation.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
The blue-haired teen sighed, glancing down at his watch again. Koushiro was fifteen minutes late, a fact that he hadn't expected to happen even with the rain. There weren't many instances when Koushiro failed to be on time, and fewer yet when he wouldn't show up when he said he would.  
  
Despite that fact, Jyou wasn't overly worried. He was just worried enough that he had chewed his nails down to nothing and he was pacing in front of the bench they had agreed to meet at.  
  
His pacing continued until the redhead was twenty minutes late, and then Jyou turned to face the direction from which Koushiro would come and started walking that way. If Koushiro couldn't or wouldn't come to him, he'd just have to go to Koushiro.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~~  
  
Watching Jyou walk out of the park towards him was one of the most welcome sights that Koushiro had ever seen. The older boy was holding an umbrella and walking awkwardly. Koushiro frowned, watching the stilted way that his friend was approaching. Jyou crossed the road and smiled at him from the curb, a few inches from the protection of the awning.  
  
"I was wondering where you were," Jyou said, smiling down at Koushiro. The redhead smiled back, tilting his head back as he took a few steps closer to his friend.  
  
"I've been waiting for the rain to stop, but it hasn't yet." He winced when he realized that he had needlessly stated the obvious. Jyou kept smiling at him, and Koushiro decided that it didn't matter if he sounded like an idiot. "When I asked you to meet me, I didn't realize that it was raining."  
  
"It started right before I got home. You probably just missed it when you got back this morning."  
  
"Yeah." Koushiro agreed. He smiled self-consciously at the lack of intelligence behind his reply. "Thanks for coming, Jyou."  
  
Blue eyes glanced down kindly. Jyou smiled. "It's not a problem." They stared at each other for a moment, the silence threading between them. With an uncertain look and a quick cough to clear his throat, Jyou reached up with his right hand and tenderly tucked a wet tendril of hair behind Koushiro's ear, his fingertips brushing gently against pale skin.  
  
Koushiro tilted his head into the touch, his eyes sliding half-shut, his lips parting on a quietly indrawn breath. The hand on the side of his face moved to trace a path on the side of his face, stopping when Jyou's thumb touched the corner of his mouth.  
  
Without giving himself time to think about his actions, Koushiro turned his head just enough that he could press a kiss against the pad of Jyou's thumb. His black eyes looked up to meet Jyou's and he smiled at the look of wonder that he saw.  
  
He raised his left hand and covered the hand that was still touching his face.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"What the-" Kari stopped in midstride, her mouth dropping open. Iori looked at her, stopping also. He was careful to keep the umbrella over them both, as the rain was still pouring without any intention of stopping.  
  
"Kari? What's wrong?" His green eyes searched her face worriedly, and then followed her gaze. His mouth dropped open also, and his arm dropped to the side, leaving them open to the rain.  
  
That seemed to snap Kari back to reality, and she grabbed his arm and held it up, putting the umbrella back over their heads. "I wasn't sure...I didn't know if it would work."  
  
He nodded in agreement, and pulled her to the side. They looked at Jyou and Koushiro for several more moments, as the older two seemed to lose themselves in the other's gaze.  
  
Jyou said something and Koushiro nodded, and they turned in the opposite direction and started walking. Kari turned her gaze to his, a smile blossoming on her face. She hugged him impulsively. "I can't wait until the others find out. This is wonderful."  
  
He hugged her back, his head turned so that he could watch as Jyou and Koushiro walked away. "It looks like Daisuke was right. For once."  
  
"I'm glad. That means that all of our friends have found happiness."  
  
He tightened his grip on her and turned his face into her hair, kissing the side of her head as he did so. "I love you."  
  
"I love you," She said in return. The rain slowed to a drizzle and stopped a few minutes later.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
He he he...do you really think it's over? Don't count on it. I hope that everyone enjoyed that part, OOCness and all. I'd tell ya'all to suffer, but if you've read this far, you've probably done enough of that already.   
  
My goal for this is to reach as many reviews, if not more, than I received for Rain on Saturday (20). However, I would absolutely love it if this surpassed Weekend Rain (48) so any and all reviews are welcomed and appreciated.   
  
I can't answer all reviews personally, but I would like to thank each and every person who has read this far. Your loyalty in reading this is welcome, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter. 


	11. Like Dew Drops

And the question remains: Did the plan fail or succeed? The answer? He he...that'd be telling...  
  
  
  
Patiently, Jyou watched as Koushiro unlocked the door to the Izumi apartment, his eyes locked on the back of the shorter boy's head. The door swung open and the redhead turned around, black eyes meeting Jyou's before Koushiro stepped into the apartment.  
  
"My mother has a group meeting this afternoon and won't return until early this evening, and my father is visiting his mother. He should return about the time my mother does," he said quickly, kicking his shows off and placing them neatly beside the door.  
  
"Hmm..." Jyou responded non-commitally, shutting the door behind him as he continued to stare at Koushiro. The redhead flashed him another smile, this one more nervous than the last. The walk from the park had been silent and uncomfortable, and neither teen was sure of the amount of stress they could continue to deal with.  
  
"would you like something to drink?" Koushiro asked, taking a step backwards. He waited expectantly and was rewarded with a nod from Jyou. He took another step back, half-turning to head into the kitchen.  
  
As luck would have it, the table from the night before was still sitting at an angle and his foot got caught on the leg. His arms flailed, trying to find purchase, but he was lying on his back before he had a chance to do more than grunt in surprise.  
  
Jyou was kneeling beside him when he opened his eyes. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes?" His reply was more question than answer. Jyou leaned closer and reached out a hand to check the dilation of his pupils. His other hand was placed on Koushiro's chest to keep the redhead from trying to get up before he was satisfied.  
  
"Did you hit your head?"  
  
"Not really. The only thing I managed to damage is my pride." With a deep breath, Koushiro reached up and covered the hand on his chest with one of his own, deciding that that moment was the perfect time to bring up what he had been wanting to say all day. "Should I apologize for this morning?"  
  
The older teen blinked, confused by the sudden change of topic. After only a second, he shook his head. "No. Should I?"  
  
"No!" Koushiro said sharply. He blushed at his outburst and tried to sit up. That only brought him closer to Jyou, who's hand was still sitting on the younger boy's chest. "I mean...Nothing happened this morning that deserves to be apologized for, other than my taking advantage of the situation and joining you in bed."  
  
"I don't want you to be sorry for that, Koushiro. Waking up with you was, for lack of a better way to say it, a dream come true." He smiled, moving the hand on Koushiro's chest up to cup his cheek gently.   
  
"Really?" His voice was disbeliefing. Jyou nodded, his eyes tender and his hand gentle where it slowly began to stroke Koushiro's cheek. Formally, he said, "Then I would like to take this opportunity to thank you."  
  
"For what?" Blue eyebrows knit together in confusion for the second time in two minutes and Koushiro smiled up at him, his eyes suffused with affection.  
  
"For kissing me."  
  
"It was my pleasure." To prove that he was speaking the truth, Jyou leaned forward and pressed his lips against Koushiro's, the contact light but sweet.  
  
The redhead opened his mouth slightly and tilted his head, his right hand coming up to cup the side of Jyou's neck. The blue-haired teen opened his mouth and moved his lips against KOushiro's, his head starting to spin.  
  
They broke apart a moment later, their faces a matching shade of red. Instead of pulling away abruptly, as he had that morning, Koushiro sat up a little more and pressed his forehead against Jyou's. He closed his eyes, concentrating on remembering the exact feel of Jyou's lips pressed against his own. He licked his lips, lingering over the taste of the other boy.  
  
without warning, the door opened and hit Jyou, who was kneeling too close. He fell forward, pushing Koushiro backwards with him. The redhead grunted as the air was knocked out of him and it took a second for Jyou to regain his equilibrium enough to roll of the younger teen and turn to the door.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Izumi looked down at their blushing sun, and his blushing friend, took in the fact that they were both lying on the floor, and looked at each other.   
  
Mrs. Izumie raised an eyebrow and glanced from her husband to her son, and then back again. "I've already had my discussion with him. It's your turn." She turned to Jyou and offered him a hand up as her husband did the same with their son. Without relinquishing her hold of the taller boy, she headed into the kitchen, leaving her men to their 'discussion'.  
  
~~~~~~______~~~~~  
  
Daisuke slumped down in the couch as Koushiro and Jyou stepped into the Hida living room. They weren't holding hands, or standing close together, or anything. As far as he could tell, nothing had changed since Friday night.  
  
Beside him, Takeru noticed the expression of defeat on his boyfriend's face and frowned. It wasn't like Daisuke to get so down about someone else's problems, especially when it didn't seem to be problem to that someone else. He reached out a hand and smoothed back Daisuke's bangs, gaining his attention long enough to smile at him.  
  
The redhead smiled back and mouthed the words, "I love you."  
  
Koushiro took a tentative seat beside Takeru and saw the small, tender exchange between them. His dark gaze moved from them to the couple curled up together in the chair beside the couch.  
  
Mimi was sitting on Sora's lap, her legs dangling over the arm of the chair, her right arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. Sora was leaning her head on Mimi's shoulder, her lips occassionally grazing the russet-haired girl's neck with quiet affection. They were holding hands and their eyes were closed as they concentrated on each other. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist for them outside of their shared embrace.  
  
On the opposite side of the room, Iori and Hikari were sitting side by side on the small, two-person couch (commonly called a 'loveseat'). They were sitting close together, their hands folded together and their feet entwined. Hikari was tracing the lines of one of Iori's palms and whispering to him what each of them meant, her voice soothing in the rather quiet apartment.  
  
In the kitchen, there was a radio playing softly. The table had been moved aside and Ken and Miyako were moving in slow circles, their feet shuffling across the linoleum as they danced quietly, her head resting against his shoulder, his right hand on her hip as he lead.  
  
It was Jyou who pointed out what was missing when he asked, "Where's Tai and Matt?" Daisuke started snickering, his attention easily diverted from his boyfriend by the question.  
  
Takeru rolled his eyes at Daisuke and leaned back, pulling his hand away from the dark auburn locks. Daisuke pouted cutely at the loss of contact and moved to snuggle next to the blond, nuzzling his nose into the soft tresses.   
  
His hand moving back to Daisuke's hair, Takeru smiled as he answered. "Tai's was 'teaching' my brother how to play soccer, but he got upset and left. Matt's at his apartment, trying to calm him down."  
  
Koushiro frowned. "What happened?" Since they had started dating, their 'real' fights had been few and far between. Daisuke snickered again, but tried to hide it in Takeru's neck.  
  
The vibration against his skin caused Takeru to giggle and he pushed his boyfriend back slightly, his cheeks turning pink. "Tai lost."  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
"Get out here, Tai! I'm not waiting around for you all day, you know," Matt hollered through the door, his patience wearing thin. If he had known that his winning would cause his boyfriend to hide in his bedroom with the door locked for two hours, he would have lost on purpose. It wasn't his fault. Tai had even told him to try his best and not worry about winning or losing.  
  
Why should he be punished for winning?  
  
"I love you!" He called through the door, leaning his head against the wooden frame. "Tai?"  
  
"I love you, too," came the muffled response. Matt smiled: it was only a matter of a few minutes before Tai opened the door if he was talking to him. "Give me a second to move some stuff!"  
  
"Okay." Matt stepped back from the door and leaned against the wall opposite it. The door opened a moment later and Tai stepped out. He was holding a rose and his body was outlined by candlelight.  
  
"Surprise." He held out his hand and Matt took it, smiling. There was a a table cloth spread out over the floor, with food set on it, and the room was lit only by candles.  
  
"What is this?" Matt asked incredously. His blue eyes swung to Tai's dark gaze. "Why did you do all this?"  
  
"I have to have a reason?" asked Tai in response. Matt shrugged, his gaze moving back to look at the shadowed room. Everything had been moved aside to make the floor space bigger and the dishes spread on the cloth seemed to be a collection of his favorite foods.  
  
"No, you don't. I'm just surprised." Tai grinned, glad that his surprise was going over so well. "Most people don't do thist type of thing without a reason, Tai."  
  
"Well, if I have to have a reason, I'm sure that I can think of something."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Happy Sunday!" He chuckled at his own joke and moved to wrap his arms around the blonde, his face nuzzling the pale column of his neck. "I love you."  
  
"Mmm. I love you."  
  
~~~~~~______~~~~~~  
  
This was originally two chapters, but I decided to combine them into one. There is one more on its way, a semi-prologue. If no one else could tell, yeah, the plan worked. The others just don't know that yet, and they may never realize it. Why? Sometimes, life is just that way. 


	12. Upon a Rainbow Sky

I hope that everyone enjoyed this. It's been really hard to write these two in character, especially Jyou. A special thanks to Ice'is Blue, who sent me two eps of Digimon 02 to give me a general idea (it helped! Not a lot, but it helped. And I enjoyed seeing them!) of Jyou's characterization in 02.  
  
Anyway, I don't own them! You know, finishing a fic isn't as rewarding as I thought it was. Maybe I'll start leaving all of mine undone...  
  
If it hasn't been obvious so far, this is the last chapter of Yearning, and probably the very last thing that I'll ever write for the "Weekend Rain" series. Gah, so depressing.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
Having twelve laughing teens enter a theater is bound to draw attention. When four of the young men of the group engage in a contest to see who can kiss the longest, the attention wasn't all good. Several mothers with small children covered their youngsters' eyes and hurriedly escorted them from the lobby as fast as they could purchase their tickets and get into the actual theater.  
  
Sora and Mimi ended up joining in and they wound up victorious over Matt and Tai, and Takeru and Daisuke. The other six, having remained partial bystanders, applauded the winners and made the four losers pay for the winners' tickets.  
  
Jyou and Koushiro looked at each other during their friends' antics and blushed lightly. Standing at the back, their exchange was missed by the rest of the group. The other ten were still oblivious to their foundling relationship and Jyou and Koushiro were basking in their secretive affair.  
  
Koushiro smiled at his own musings and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He opened it and started to draw out the amount he would need to get into the movie the group had chosen, but Jyou's larger hand closed over his and the blue-haired teen shook his head.  
  
"My treat." He held up a second ticket that the redhead hadn't been aware he'd bought.   
  
"Thank you," he smiled, tilting his head back and to the side, his black eyes shining. His gaze strayed to their friends for a moment, but the rest of the group had already entered the theater, leaving them alone in the lobby.  
  
The redhead reached out and grabbed the taller boy's hand and they smiled at each other. They held hands until they spotted their friends and then they slipped separately into their seats.  
  
The movie was better than the one they had seen together, but they weren't allowed to enjoy it as much as they would have liked. Daisuke and Takeru chose to sit next to Jyou and make out after the beginning credits were done. Tai and Matt, in the row in front of them, were also necking, albeit quieter than the other two. In the row behind them, Miyako and Ken were talking through the movie, alternately yelling at the characters on the screen and condemning them for idiots.  
  
Mimi and Sora had already given up and moved down to the front, but Hikari and Iori were on Koushiro's left, leaving them blocked from either side. Jyou looked to his left, meeting the redhead's amused gaze.  
  
The seats were built so that there was one armrest between each pair of seats, with a cup holder on every other armrest, with space between the armrest and the part of the seats that were sat in. It was perfect for secretly holding hands with someone, which they did.  
  
It was nice to be able to show their affection and to know that their feelings were returned. A quarter of the way through the movie, Daisuke and Takeru got a little more...physical. Daisuke ended up half-sprawling on top of Jyou as Takeru sucked on his neck. The redhead smiled apologetically up at Jyou, but didn't immediately push Takeru back so that he could sit normally.  
  
Jyou was stunned after coming into such close contact with two of his friends making out. Beside him, Koushiro was hiding his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking in laughter. Next to him, Iori was staring at the genius as if he'd gone insane.  
  
When he had calmed down enough to peek up from his hands, he found Jyou staring at him affectionately. He signaled for Jyou to lean down and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Our friends are bizarre." His lips gently brushed Jyou's earlobe and the older teen shivered slightly. Their gazes met, their faces close together.  
  
Koushiro licked his lips, his eyes lighting up in anticipation as Jyou's moved a fraction of an inch closer. A piece of popcorn hit each of them on the side of the face and they both looked accusingly up at Ken and Miyako. They shrugged innocently and looked over their shoulders to see Jun and Shin in the seats behind them.   
  
The older Kido leaned forward, his elbows resting on the back of Ken and Miya's seats, and grinned at his brother. "I see that your date is going rather well."  
  
"Date?" Miyako asked, turning around with grin. Ken eyed her, shrugged sympathetically at Jyou and Koushiro, and slumped in his seat, knowing that their own date was about to be put on hold for the latest bit of gossip. "Jyou, you're on a date with -Koushiro-?"  
  
Daisuke froze with Takeru's ear in his mouth. He turned in his seat to face the redhead and the blue-haired teen. "A date? You two?" Beside him, Takeru crossed his arms and leaned back against his seat, pouting. Iori and Hikari had also been alerted to the situation. They turned in their seats and stared at their now blushing friends.  
  
Koushiro dropped his chin to his chest and wished that the floor would open up and swallow him. Charitably, he amended that to swallowing the both of them. No need to make Jyou suffer alone.  
  
In the row in front of them, Matt had turned his head to look at them with a smile. Tai was attached to his neck, his attention devoted to his self-directed task of giving Matt the biggest hickey on record.  
  
A hand reached down to grip Koushiro's and he looked up into Jyou's face. The blue eyes that stared back at him were loving and supportive. "Are you okay?" He sounded so concerned that the few misgivings that Koushiro had been harboring disappeared.  
  
He nodded. "I'm fine." He leaned closer. "This isn't exactly the way I had planned on announcing our relationship. Although in all honesty, I cannot say that keeping it a secret has been easy. I-" he stopped, flushing a deeper red. "Since it's not a secret any longer, you can...-we- can..." He broke off, biting his lips as his brain failed to send the message he wanted to relay to his mouth.  
  
Jyou blinked at him, a curious expression on his face. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, in which five of their friends paid more attention to them than the movie they were watching, Jyou closed the distance between them and pressed a gentle kiss to Koushiro's lips.  
  
Iori and Hikari applauded silently, but Miyako wasn't satisfied with that. She stood up and gave a 'whoop' of excitement, her voice gaining them the attention of the rest of the theater. Koushiro and Jyou broke contact quickly, looked at each other, and then embraced, hiding their faces in each other's shoulders.  
  
They heard Ken sigh and try to get Miyako to sit down. She told him to sit down and shush until she got Mimi and Sora up there 'to see the new couple'. Her words carried over the sound of the movie and the girls in question quickly began making their way to them.  
  
Ken had managed to get Miyako to sit down, but now she was leaning on the back of their seats, squawking about how sweet they looked together. "So adorable! Oh, have you kissed yet? Are you going to? Come on, guys, give me some of the details!"  
  
"Did I say bizarre? I meant that they're incorrigible. Our friends our incorrigible." Koushiro whispered, trying to shut out the sound of the girls talking about them.  
  
"True," Jyou agreed. "But I wouldn't trade them in."  
  
"Neither would I, but that does not mean that I wouldn't mind getting far, far away from them at this moment. This is the most humiliating situation I can recall ever being in."  
  
"I can remember a few that were worse than this." Koushiro pulled back quickly. Tai was leaning far over his seat, his head right next to where they'd been cuddling a moment before. He grinned at them. "There was the time-"  
  
"Tai!" The blonde beside him jerked him back into his seat and shrugged at them. "Sorry."  
  
"So?" Mimi asked, kneeling in the seat beside Matt and looking at them. Sora took the seat next to Tai and mimicked her girlfriend's posture. "Are you going to tell us?"  
  
"Or are we going to have to drag it out of you?" questioned Sora, smiling sweetly.  
  
Jyou and Koushiro looked at each other and then slumped in their seats. It was starting to look like a long night.  
  
~~~~~_____~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
I hope you enjoyed this. Peace and Love to you. 


	13. Daikensuke Teaser

****

Teaser: expect to see more of this late June/early July as a separate story.

Author: Rae

Title: Motions Seen Through Glass

Content: Daikensuke, Taito, Takori, Miyakari

Warning: It's sweet, it's fluffy, and it has mild-angst. If you don't understand the content, it basically reads: same-gender relations. Reviews appreciated and adored, questions will be answered and comments/criticisms taken serious. Flames are amusing but unnecessary. My mind is made up, and my hell is waiting for me, thank you.

****

Actual Important Author's Note: this fic does not follow the ending of the series. They beat the bad guy using whatever they had available, yada yada, but the whole world didn't help, and the Digital World is now closed except to email. No others have been chosen to take their place, and they don't get to go back and visit. The rest of the world is Digimon-less, too. 

Words in _italics_ are for _emphasis_

Words in **_Bold Italics _**are the **_day_**

Words that appear in **bold** are **Dai's thoughts**

**__**

Tuesday

"No." The redhead shook his head stubbornly, crossing his arms in refusal.

"Please, Daisuke? Pretty please? It's for my grade!" Hikari tilted her head down so that she could look up at him with soft brown eyes fringed with long lashes. He regarded her for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "Please?"

Daisuke opened his mouth, snapped it shut, and glared at her. "No. It's embarrassing and humiliating and I get nothing from it." He looked at the group that had assembled in front of him during her pleading session, and turned his face away, not wanting to see the pitiful looks that the girl in front of him kept sending his way. He looked at his best friend who had stood to the side through the whole of the exchange. "Can you believe this?"

Ken smiled slightly, looking first at Kari before answering. "I think you should do it." 

Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?" 

"Because it's his grade, too." Kari said as she gave up her beseeching posture and sat back down on the bench beside her friends. Daisuke looked at Ken with a frown.

"Fine, but I don't have to like it," he finally conceded. He looked at his watch. "Come on. We have practice." He stalked away, glowering at the world. Takeru and Iori snickered as they took their places at the picnic table and Ken followed the redhead, leaving the group of four to discuss them at leisure.

Miyako's violet eyes trailed after them. "I wish I'd seen it before." She let the comment hang in the air, as if it were nothing important. A moment went by before anyone spoke. 

Iori leaned forward so that he could peer at her around Takeru. "Seen what?" She smiled at him, grateful that he had taken the bait, even if he was doing it to just humor her. 

"Daisuke and Ken. I've seen hints of it, but it seems so obvious now." She smirked knowingly, waggling her eyebrows at Kari. "He can refuse Kari, whom he stalked, despite her pitiful begging and saying her grade depended on it. Ken _looks_ at him, and he's suddenly ready to volunteer."

"He wasn't exactly eager, Miya." Kari smiled gently, tucking a lock of hair behind her head. "But I do think you're right. When they transferred Ken at the beginning of the year, I was afraid that they would grow tired of each other, spending so much time together. But they grow closer every day."

Takeru looked at both girls, raising one eyebrow at Iori so that the younger teen knew that he was going to string them along. The blonde spoke offhandedly, as if the thought had just occurred to him, "I think it's great that they're still best friends. You'll have to set them up with twins so that they can double date." As expected, two sets of eyes swung his way with incredulity. "What? You really think they'd want to date girls that didn't get along? Whoever they go out with will have to like the other, no choice about it."

"You are so dense, Takeru!" Miyako glared at him. "I can't believe this. You're barely seventeen, and you're already making dumb assumptions like a _man_. They won't have to worry about dating girls that don't like them, they'll end up dating each other _first_!"

"They'd have to be gay to date, Miyako." The blonde pointed out haughtily, as if that was the most obvious reason why that wasn't possible. She rolled her eyes and growled in frustration. He looked at her innocently, but Iori's giggles interrupted him. Unable to contain himself any longer, Takeru laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I think they'd make a cute couple."

She glared at him for a moment, and then flipped her hair behind her head in a gesture of superiority. "We just have to get them together." Six eyes stared at her, and she smiled, not bowing under the pressure. "It will be a piece of cake. This project that Ken and Kari have to do is perfect. We'll simply set them up."

"By embarrassing the both of them?" Kari's gentle voice was more questioning than disapproving, and she had to admit to herself that it would be worth it if it got them together. She didn't voice her thoughts aloud, though, because Miyako was already plotting.

"If that's what it takes. What's the project again?" Lavender eyes peered after Ken and Daisuke slyly, the pupils dilating as she strategized.

"Ken and I have to write a play that symbolizes the parts of life that people keep hidden. We have to choose a topic that has been stigma-ed up to now, and then write a series of scenes that act it out, showing either the repercussions or the positive aspects of such a life. Since Ken and Daisuke are going to do the acting, I'm left with the writing and directing. The teacher's going to let me stay off stage, as long as I agree to write the scenes, and write an extra scene."

Her voice faded as she finished and slouched. Miya looked at her worriedly. "What's the extra?"

"Well, I asked her to let Dais do it because I didn't think he'd refuse, so she said that I had to write a scene about how they met, so that we could act it out in class later this period. How fun is that going to be, especially when I try to explain the Kaiser and the Digital World?"

~~~~~_____~~~~~

"Thank you, Dai." Ken spoke softly, his eyes on the area in front of him as he walked. "It shouldn't be that hard. Kari's writing it, and she knows both of us well enough to know what we're capable of."

Daisuke looked at him, his eyes still hesitant despite the excited gleam that was forming. **As if there were a doubt that I'd refuse to help you?** "And you guys want me to do this? With my luck, I'll trip walking onto the stage and fall on you, and we'll both look dumb."

"You'll do fine, I'm sure. I have faith." He said it half-jokingly, but when he met Daisuke's gaze, the redhead could tell that he was sincere. "Come on. We're going to be late, and the coach won't be happy."

"He'll forgive me, when I tell him it was his sister's fault. He missed more than one practice in his time because of her." They laughed, and then changed their walking pace to a run, simply to avoid having to explain to Tai why they were late. It wasn't always the easiest to have the oldest of the digi-destined leaders as your coach, but Ken was normally more than capable of making sure they arrived on time.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

They were five minutes late, and Tai made them run for twenty minutes, doing sprints, and racing each other from one end of the field to the other. It seemed that since most of the team knew that they were friends with the twenty-one year old, he made it a point to never go easy on them, pushing them both harder and expecting more out of them for that very reason. They didn't mind. It gave them a chance to expend excess energy, and the extra work made them the two best players on the field.

After practice that day, they showered sluggishly, and ended up in the locker room alone. Tai was waiting outside to make sure they got out okay, but they had seen Matt show up, and they knew that he'd be in no hurry.

"So, should I prepare for this somehow?" Daisuke picked his practice shirt up from the floor, throwing it down in the general direction of the bench. It missed, hit the lockers, and dropped to the floor where it had started. Ken smiled, leaned over, and picked it up. **You're even cute when you're cleaning up after me. There's an idea. Ken dressed in a maid's costume…** What the redhead had in mind had nothing to do with being on stage.

"Stop worrying about it, Dai. You'll do fine. Just remember that Kari and I will fail if you don't do great tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Brown eyes glazed over. **Oh, man, I think my heart just stopped.**

"I'm just kidding, Dai. It's not until next Friday. You have time, if you don't feel certain now. I'm sure that Jun would _love _to coach you." Daisuke gave him a look, one that said that he didn't find that amusing. Ken sighed. "Daisuke, you're my best friend. Do you really think I would ask you to do something that you weren't able to handle?"

"No. It's not that." Daisuke didn't hesitate. He sat down beside the taller boy, clean shirt in hand. "You have to remember, Ken, that I'm not the best with words." **That's an understatement.** "What am I supposed to do if I forget my lines? Or if I say the wrong ones at the wrong time?"

"I doubt that that will happen. Kari's writing the play as we speak, and we'll have almost the whole week to prepare." Ken turned away, drawing his boxers on as the towel around his waist fell into a puddle. Dai looked away, eyes wide, jaw threatening to stay open permanently. He knew that his face was an unhealthy shade of red. **Thank you, whatever deity there may be watching over us, for letting me have my pants on!**

He doubted that it would be easy to explain to Ken the reason that his body was suddenly very…attentive.

****

Don't look! **Say something witty. Be smart!** "Okay, but what if she asks me to do something really stupid, like wear pink ruffles and sing 'You are my sunshine'?" **You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happ~y when skies are gray…**

Ken licked his lips, looking at his friend for a moment before he gave up and shook his head. He couldn't remember a time when Daisuke had looked so uncertain of himself. He thought for a moment, then grinned, determined to pull him out of his slump. "Are you finally admitting that there is something that you can not do?"

Brown eyes looked at him for a moment before narrowing. "I can do anything."

"Really? Then why are you so afraid of doing this project?" Ken asked calmly. The redhead stood back up, scratching his head as he looked around for his shoes. Ken reached under the bench, and pulled them out and handed them to him.

"I'm not afraid of it, I just want you to be certain that you want me to do it. I can handle it. I can handle anything." He struck a pose, shirtless and barefoot, his head tilted proudly. **I am a god. Kneel before me. Please…gutter brain! Down, boy, down!**

"Uh-huh. Just remember that, Dais." Ken pulled on his shirt over his head slowly, grimacing as the smell of the locker room permeated the washed scent of clean laundry. "This room stinks."

"It always has." Dai slipped his shoes on, putting his feet up on the bench next to Ken to tie the laces. He looked up midway through tying the second one, and found his nose a scant few inches from Ken. The cocky grin from a moment before faded slightly, and he forgot whatever he'd been about to say. The realization that both of them were only half-dressed and alone crossed both their minds, but neither could manage to breath, let alone move to take advantage of the situation. They stared at each other, eyes locked in a silent web. Daisuke licked his lips, and his gaze slipped down to watch Ken do the same. His eyes jerked back up, and he swallowed hard. "Don't forget your shoes." He jerked backwards quickly, moving to shove his clothes into his bag. He closed his eyes as he pulled the zipper. **Idiot. Crest of Courage my ass.**

"Thanks for reminding me," Ken said dryly. Daisuke looked at him with a grin. **Somebody's getting moody.**

"Sorry, genius boy. Can't help pointing out the obvious, you know. Don't forget to take the comb out of your locker, too."

Violet eyes shone into his as the taller one smiled slightly, his expression demure as he pulled the afore-mentioned comb out of his locker. "Thank you, mother."

"Of course, love. What would you do without me?" For added effect, he reached out and pinched his cheeks, making the violet eyes glare at him. He grinned as Ken turned a light shade of pink. "Come on, Ken. I'm starved, and it's your night to supply the food."

"My dad's cooking, Dais, so you may wish to reconsider."

"Come on, dude! I'll eat anything!" **And any reason to be with you is enough.** He grinned, lugging his bag to his shoulder and starting toward the door. He missed the darker blush on Ken's face as the older teen took a moment to interpret his innocently made statement.

~~~~~____~~~~~

"Hey, Red. Rocket. Took you guys long enough. What'd you do, take a moment to make out in the shower stalls?" **I wish.** Tai was leaning against the wall of the building just beside the door. Matt stood a few feet from him, a slight smile on his face as he glanced at them. "You guys can help us settle this. If you knew that you were going to be stuck on an island for thirty years, whom would you take? A survivalist, a trained soldier, or your best friend?"

"Daisuke." Ken answered at the same time that Daisuke replied, "Ken". They looked at each other and grinned. Tai rolled his eyes while Yamato smirked. 

"I told you so." The blonde was victorious.

"That doesn't prove anything." Tai said stubbornly, crossing his arms as he pushed himself away from the wall with his foot. "The fact that they agree with you does not prove that you're right."

"You said yourself that asking them would settle it." 

"Shut up." Tai turned his attention to Ken.

"What were you guys arguing about?" Ken asked politely.

Yamato sighed. "I told him that I'd choose him, and he didn't think that that was realistic."

"It's not." Daisuke broke in, stepping with a hop so that he could get in front of the other three as they walked towards Tai's car. "You two would spend so much time making out that you'd forget to find food and make shelter, and then you would eventually die."

"That's so encouraging, Dais, thank you." Yamato replied, taking Tai's hand and leaning into the brunette. "Don't give him any ideas, or you might find us on a missing persons list somewhere."

"At least we'd die happy." Tai grinned, watching as Daisuke jogged ahead to his car. "So, Ken. How are things?"

"What things?" The genius asked candidly, his guard up as he waited. It wasn't often he was left alone with both men.

"Things with Dais. I hear that you two are spending a lot of time together. Do you ever spend a day apart?"

Ken shrugged and retorted defensively, "Why would we?" Yamato looked at Tai for a moment and shook his head, trying to keep him out of trouble. 

"Are you guys official yet?" Ken stopped, looking at the both of them. He didn't have to look up at either of them anymore. He could meet them eye-to-eye, and today, that prospect was looking rather daunting. Blue and brown met violet, and he looked quickly from one to the other, noting the playful looks Tai kept sending Daisuke's way.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." He denied quickly, feeling his heart racing.

Yamato looked at him for a moment, a gentle look on his face as he clenched Tai's hand in warning. "If that's true, I feel sorry for the both of you." He pulled his boyfriend forward to where the redhead tapped his hand impatiently against the roof of the car. 

"Come on guys. We're both heading to Ken's, and I'm hungry!" **What's so secretive that they waited until they had Ken alone? And why is he blushing again?**

~~~~~_____~~~~~

**__**

Wednesday

Daisuke stared down at the paper, his eyebrows drawn together. He tilted his head to one side, then to the other, and then back. Finally, with a grunt, he let his body slide off the bench. "Are you serious?" **Please tell me no. Please. This is too…it's so revealing. How in the world could I pull this off without making a fool of myself? **

Kari sighed, but held out her hand to help him up. His eyes scanned the rest of the schoolyard. **Man, I hope Ken doesn't see me freaking out about this. Where is he anyway? Shouldn't he be here by now?**

Seeing the question in his eyes, she answered before he could ask the question out loud. "Miya and Ken have to stay after in Chemistry to clean up, and Iori and Takeru are off in some classroom necking under the pretense of tutoring."

Daisuke grinned. "Have you told her yet?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she smiled.

"No. However, she's going with my parents and I on a trip over the weekend, and we'll have plenty of chances to talk." The way she drew out the last word made him laugh, and soon they were giggling together, leaning shoulder against shoulder to support each other.

"Well, isn't this sweet," a cheery tenor interrupted. Kari leaned back, tilting her head so that she could stare upside down into the face of her friend. Takeru was grinning.

"I thought for sure that the two of you were playing tonsil hockey in some broom closet someplace." She grinned back at Takeru, watching his eyebrow rise...er, drop, and the way that Iori's face seemed to glow as it turned red. "Of course, since the two of you are eternally attached at the hip, I guess that you don't have to _make_ time to see each other."

"Thank you, Kari. I'm sure that if half the school didn't know that we were dating, they do now." He looked pointedly around the busy courtyard, where most of the student body spent its lunch hour. However, despite his words, his teasing tone and the fact that nobody seemed to be paying attention to them said that he wasn't really worried about it. **At least someone's getting some.**

"I can't help it. You're both just so cute!" She sat back up, winking at a giggling Daisuke. "You would think that they're the first two boys to begin dating in this high school." 

Iori sat down beside her, and smiled slightly. "If you listen to the gossip mill, we're the third gay couple in this school, the first being Tai and Matt, of course."

"And what a scene they made." Recalled Kari.

Daisuke leaned forward so that he could look over Kari. "Who were the second?" Kari looked at Takeru, and then at Iori, and the three started laughing. "What's so funny?"

The blonde swallowed his laughter, but was unable to keep the smirk from his face. "You and Ken." Daisuke opened his mouth before the words caught up with his brain. He snapped his jaw shut, looking at the now serious expressions on the faces of his friends. He felt something settle in his chest, a slow dread. **How could they know? I can't have been…not that obvious…please no…**

"The school seriously thinks that we're dating?" He sounded shocked, scandalized, and Kari looked at Takeru and Iori uncertainly before nodding. The redhead sat back, slumping forward to rest his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. **Oh, Kami-sama, does Ken know?**

"Dais?" Iori leaned over Takeru, his hand resting on the blonde's thigh as he tried to get a better look at the redhead. His green eyes were dark with concern.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." His voice was muffled. "You guys are being serious, aren't you? You're not pulling my leg, or any such thing?"

"We're serious." She answered softly, rubbing his back. He sat up, and looked at them with resigned brown eyes.

"The world will think what it wants to think. As for me, I'm not ready yet." He said it simply, answering any questions they may have had, and leaving a few more in their wake. "Ken isn't either."

"Ready for what?" The genius sat down gracefully, resting his feet on the bench as he shared the table top with the others. Miyako chose the spot in front of Kari and leaned back, resting her elbows on the brunette's legs.

"Ready for reality, and the whole shebang. I'm seventeen and that may be basically the same thing as an adult, but it's not, and I don't want to have to grow up, and I refuse to even think about being rushed!" His voice rose in indignation and stress, finally calming down when Ken nodded.

"Ah." Ken said in understanding, while four others looked on in confusion, wondering how he could enter the end of a conversation and still seem to know what was going on. Slender shoulders shrugged dismissively, pushing the subject aside for the moment. "Your place or mine tonight?"

"Mine. Mom's cooking."

"Do you guys spend the night together every night?" Miya looked up with interest, her eyes shining. **Don't even start that, Miya.**

Ken looked at Daisuke and nodded. "We normally head to whoever's house after practice, and then Dais stays the weekends at my apartment."

"Uh huh. And where do you sleep when you stay with each other?" Takeru asked, trying to keep all suggestive qualities out of his voice. It seemed to work, because neither Daisuke nor Ken gave any outward indication that they caught the innuendo.

Daisuke shrugged. **Wouldn't you like to know?** "It depends on where we are and how late we stay up and talk If it's still early, one of us will catch the bus home, or we'll just camp out together for the night." **Okay, let's get out of dangerous waters.** He turned to Ken. "Tai called this morning. He wants us to be an hour early for practice."

Ken groaned. "Why?"

"He said that my aim is off, and he thinks that you are slowing down." One indigo eyebrow rose in incredulity. "I know. I told him that that was ridiculous and that you only do it in practice because we run together, but he was pushy and I told him fine."

"When did you talk to him?" 

"While you were taking a shower. But then your mom made muffins, and I forgot." Takeru snickered, and Miya and Kari both had to look away. Ken looked at them in confusion as Daisuke glared. "I already told your parents. It shouldn't be a problem. I figured we could walk over there, and wait until Tai and Matt showed up."

More snickering came from Takeru and Kari had to hold a hand to her mouth to stop laughing. Miya squeezed her leg, signaling her to gain control of herself. Iori elbowed his boyfriend, glaring at him meaningfully. The causes of laughter pointedly ignored them, deciding unanimously between them to shut their mirth out.

"That's fine." Ken nodded, his hair falling forward to cover his face. Without thinking, Daisuke reached out, brushing his hair back with a smile. Their eyes met and they smiled. **So beautiful**

~~~~~_____~~~~~

"I can't believe they did nothing!" Miyako threw her arms out dramatically, almost hitting Takeru square in the chest. He stopped just short of contact, causing Iori to bump into his side. The four were walking down the street, making their way idly toward the park they normally frequented in a group of six. Since Daisuke and Ken had early 'practice', they were using the time strategically, planning 'Operation: Daikensuke'.

"Don't forget, Miyako, we still have several hours of today left, not to mention a week and a half until presentation."

"Forget daylight and time. They're both so damn dense! I can't believe that they've been best friends for five years without figuring out that they're in love with each other. It's just not possible. A stranger on the street could look at them and see how perfect they are for each other!" Her voice was high-pitched and shrill, and the rest of the group looked down as strangers on the street stopped and stared at them. Miyako didn't seem to notice. "One of these days, those two are going to have to sit down and talk about their feelings, or I'm going to go nuts."

Hikari and Iori looked at her silently, but Takeru raised an eyebrow and asked the question on all of their minds. "Haven't you already taken that trip?" 

She ignored him. "We're going to have to seriously strategize."


End file.
